'Trust the process': How Kings Mountain baseball ended a lengthy league title drought
BOILING SPRINGS — Even after a first-round loss to North Gaston in 2019, Kings Mountain baseball coach Brad Melton had a hunch better days were coming for his program.
“Guess we’ll keep chipping away at it until we get there,” he said that May, following a 7-1 loss.
More pain followed: a 2020 season lost to COVID, and two narrow losses to rival Crest compounded by a first-round playoff loss at home in 2021.
It’s amazing how one win can mend old wounds.
A five-run fifth inning Tuesday night put Kings Mountain ahead to stay in a crucial road contest at Crest, staving off its old rival for a 5-4 victory. With their win, the Mountaineers claimed the Big South 3A championship, the program’s first conference title since 2009.
“We’ve been building toward this the past couple years,” Melton said. “Last year we came so close, but came up short… including a loss (at Crest). For the last couple years we’ve been getting better, and this is the accumulation of all that hard work.”
Things started rather ominously for the Mountaineers, though, a 3-2 delivery by ace Zane Brockman lifted by Crest’s Clayton Brown over the center field fence for a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Chargers pitcher Tucker McSwain made that lead stand up through four innings, allowing one hit and a total of three baserunners.
Despite his team’s early struggles, Brockman said he never felt pressed. “If it was the first game of the season and I didn’t know what I had behind me, maybe I would try to do a little more than usual. But I know the guys behind me can hit,” he added.
All Kings Mountain needed was a spark. It came on hits from Jackson Toney and Caleb Broome. A batter later, Jacob Hamrick’s base hit allowed Toney to trot home. Shortly after, Broome and Hamrick would do the same on a Brockman double to give the Mountaineers the lead.
Maddox Brown added an RBI double, with Cole Irby bringing in another run on a base hit in the frame for Kings Mountain to make it six hits and five runs.
Pursuing a fourth straight league championship, Crest did not go down without a fight. After two walks to start the bottom of the sixth, a Brayden Blaylock 3-run homer cut the Kings Mountain lead to 5-4.
Blaylock was the last batter for Brockman, his night ending at 5.1 innings pitched, allowing four runs on five hits. Though not wanting to give up the baseball, the Mountaineers’ ace understood those relieving him were capable of finishing the job.
“I wanted to give us five (innings), and I had faith in our guys to take care of business,” Brockman said. “And that’s what Peyton (Fisher) and Wyatt (Davis) did.”
Fisher finished the sixth, and Davis worked around a one-out walk in the seventh to earn the save.
“In my mind, tonight was win or go home. We didn’t want it to come down to one game,” Brockman said of the same two teams' regular-season finale Thursday. “It just felt good to get it here, though. Losing here last year and the way we lost, there are a lot of emotions at this moment.”
Though the conference race is done, both confess there’s still much work left to accomplish.
“Conference championship is done, now it’s time to get a ring,” Brockman added.
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Baseball
Tuesday, May 3
Big South 3A
Ashbrook 11, Hunter Huss 5: Chandler Meeks was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Cooper York added two hits and scored twice for the Huskies. Hunter Eberhart added an RBI double, with Christian Augustin bringing in a run as well.
Forestview 6, Stuart Cramer 4: Six runs in the sixth allowed the Jaguars to rally for a win. Cooper Botts led Forestview with a hit and an RBI. Stuart Cramer’s Noah Andrews brought in two on a double, with Julian Hall also contributing an RBI double.
South Point 3, North Gaston 1: Jake Beaty hit a two-run homer with Cooper Ray adding a solo shot for the Red Raiders. Beaty also went six innings, allowing no runs on four hits and striking out five.
Nate Williams hit a home run for North Gaston’s only run.
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A
Cherryville 16, Bessemer City 2: Landon Hahn (two RBIs, run), Tripp Creason (two RBIs, three runs), Tobias Miller (two RBIs, run) and Collin Huss (two RBIs) had two hits apiece as the Ironmen defeated Bessemer City for the third time in a week.
Cherryville travels to East Gaston on Wednesday for a Southern Piedmont 1A/2A semifinal matchup.
East Gaston 12, Thomas Jefferson 1: Liam Brady pitched the Warriors to a win. Logan Agosta, Jaxon Cogdill and Gracen Mahadeo each had two hits for East Gaston, which hosts Cherryville on Wednesday.
Shelby 5, Highland Tech 2: Parker Dixon allowed two runs on three hits and struck out seven to lead the Golden Lions. He also was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Shelby advances to the tournament semifinal round, traveling to rival Burns on Wednesday.
S.C. Class 5A playoffs
Rock Hill 2, Clover 1: The Blue Eagles look to stave off elimination Thursday against either T.L. Hanna (Anderson) or Spartanburg.
Monday, May 2
Catawba Shores 1A/2A
Community School of Davidson 16, Mountain Island Charter 7
Catawba Valley 2A
Newton-Conover 9, Lincolnton 5
Maiden 19, West Lincoln 5
Metro Eight 1A
Piedmont Community Charter 12, Carolina International 0
NCISAA Metrolina
Metrolina Christian 13, Gaston Day 0
Concord Academy 4, Gaston Christian 1: Meridian Leffew was 3-for-4 with a run scored, with David Nicks earning an RBI base hit.
Western Foothills 3A
North Lincoln 8, East Lincoln 7: North Lincoln rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to down rival East Lincoln and claim the Western Foothills 3A title. Matt Heavner was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Josh Fox added two hits — one of them a triple — to go with an RBI and two runs scored. Reece Moody and and Logan Sammons each had a hit and two RBIs.
Evan Matile was 3-for-4 with a home run, double, four RBIs and a run scored. Trey Spees (home run, three RBIs, two runs) and Graham Smiley (two runs) had two hits apiece for East Lincoln.
Softball
Tuesday, May 3
Big South 3A
Crest 12, Hunter Huss 0: Aidan Ledbetter and Ella Shope combine for a shutout, allowing one hit and striking out eight between them in a Crest win. Mackenzie Luckenbaugh hit a 3-run homer, with Alexis Shope, Molly Beam and Reese Gettys adding hits.
Forestview 15, South Point 0: Bryn Bumgardner (home run, three RBIs, three runs), Madison Brown (three RBIs, run), Kaitlin Barnes (RBI, run), Carson Upton (RBI) and Karson Sloop (run) had two hits apiece, with Carli Chavis adding a hit, two RBIs and a run scored in a shut out of South Point.
Kings Mountain 23, Ashbrook 0: Austyn Dixon hit a grand slam, with Samantha Harrelson bringing in two on a base hit in a winning effort.
Stuart Cramer 8, North Gaston 6: The Storm rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh, doing enough to claim Big South 3A’s No. 2 spot and an automatic playoff berth. Andrea Detweiler was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Storm, with Alayna Pettit adding a base hit, an RBI and a run scored. Hadley Womack brought in two with a double as well.
Megan Towery was 2-for-2 with a solo home run and another run scored for North Gaston. Caroline Allred (two runs), Gracie Nichols (three RBIs) added two hits of their own.
Catawba Valley 2A
West Lincoln 6, West Caldwell 0: Chloe Norman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Etta Godfrey brought in two with a double for the Lady Rebels. Carolina Robinson also had an RBI base hit to go with a run scored.
NCISAA Metrolina
Metrolina Christian 11, Gaston Christian 1
Monday, May 2
Big South 3A
Crest 4, Forestview 1: Sara Rose Warlick and Alexis Shope had two hits apiece, while Aidan Ledbetter allowed one run on four hits and struck out 16 to lead the Chargers.
Carson Upton had an RBI base hit for Forestview.
Catawba Valley 2A
Maiden 9, Lincolnton 3
West Lincoln 15, Newton-Conover 0: Bailey Huss had two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored, with Addisyn Robinson adding two hits and three RBIs of her own in a Lady Rebel rout.
Western Foothills 3A
East Lincoln 13, North Lincoln 0: Taniyah Thomas was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, with Taliyah Thomas going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored for East Lincoln. Tatum Martin added two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Lady Mustangs, with Jaelyn Freeston adding a double and two RBIs.
S.C. Class 5A playoffs
Clover 6, Byrnes (Duncan) 0
Boys golf
3A West: Will Spicer shot a 67 at River Bend YMCA Golf Course on Monday, his effort earning the 3A West individual title and leading his team to a regional title.
It is the Mountaineers’ first 3A regional title since 2015. Kings Mountain’s team total of 302 was four strokes ahead of rival Crest. Stuart Cramer’s 307 was good for third place. Each team qualified for the state championship, set for May 8-9 at Pinehurst No. 6.
Spicer finished three shots clear of Freedom’s Alex Bock. Four Kings Mountain players shot below 80, as Thomas Spicer (77), Cooper Putnam (79), Caleb Marr (79) and Josh Gillespie (86) contributed to the effort.
Cody Whitaker (73), Sam Robbins (76), Reed Burton (78) and Jacob Pennington (79) led the way for Crest. Stuart Cramer’s Luke Cochran (74), Harrison Rowland (77), Rich Wills (78) and Aiden Vargosko (78) helped the Storm qualify.
Also qualifying included Forestview’s Nick Norman (71) and Tate Smith (74), with North Gaston being represented by Lane Mason (75).
On a team basis, East Lincoln (327) placed sixth, Forestview tied for ninth (339) and North Lincoln wound up 12th (355).
2A West: Lincoln Charter claimed the regional championship Monday at Cleghorn Golf & Sports Club in Rutherfordton.
Jonathan Jones was the Eagles’ top finisher, his 6-over 77 good for ninth. Dyanni Rhyne (79), Samuel Bruce (80), Joseph Bruce (81), Zach Hendricks (82) and Austin Lineberger (87) each wound up among the event’s top 32 golfers.
West Lincoln’s Lawson Harkey walked away with the individual championship after winning a playoff with Samuel Mace of East Burke. Both golfers shot 72.
Also qualifying for the state tournament are Shelby’s Barek Cardell and East Gaston’s Ethan Hayes, who shot 75. The 2A championship is set for May 9-10 at Foxfire (Red) Golf Club In Pinehurst.
1A West: Cherryville’s Tyler Stroupe (82), Blake Tedder (83) and Jackson Tedder (84) each qualified for the 1A state championship as individuals Tuesday at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland. Mountain Island Charter will also be represented after Kola Abudu’s 79.
The 1A state championship will be held May 9-10 at Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Southern Pines.
Girls soccer
Ashbrook 2, Kings Mountain 1
Clover 9, Northwestern (S.C.) 0
Crest 9, Hunter Huss 0: Madison Setzer scored three goals, Cadence Setzer and Cadence Walker added two of their own with Emma Harrill netting a goal as well for Crest.
East Gaston 6, Burns 0: Ava Stillwell scored four goals, with Maddie Somers and Reagan Luckadoo earning a goal apiece for the Lady Warriors.
Highland Tech 9, Cherryville 0: Madison Joyner scored three goals, while Avery Davis, Reegan Racz and Katie Fangman had two apiece for the Lady Rams.
Lincolnton 8, West Caldwell 1
Newton-Conover 3, West Lincoln 0
Shelby 4, Bessemer City 0: Stella Martin, Dora Lopez, Hattie Hensley and Ansley Walker scored goals for Shelby.
South Point 4, Forestview 0: Madison Dudley, Jesson Cardiang, Jenna Feduniac and Emme Lewandowski netted goals for South Point, which clinched the Big South 3A title with its victory.
Stuart Cramer 9, North Gaston 0: Aubree Baker scored three goals, Skyler McMann had two, while Olivia Michael, Marley Accashian and Katelyn Marze netted one of their own for the Storm.
You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Kings Mountain baseball wins Big South 3A title with 5-4 win over Crest
