Greenfield School collected its fourth straight varsity baseball win with a 16-2 conquest of Coastal Christian in 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference action Tuesday at Ralph Hodge Family Field.
The 2-A Knights drew 14 walks to go with seven base hits and two errors by the 3-A Centurions in the game that ended in the fifth inning via the mercy rule. Greenfield, now 12-4 overall, exploded for 10 runs in the third inning on its way to a 5-3 CPIC mark. Coastal Christian of Wilmington departed 3-8 overall and 1-8 in CPIC games.
Freshman Jaden Frazier was 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs for Greenfield while senior Josh Brown was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Eighth grader Clark Johnson and senior Quintin Blake each drove in two runs while junior starting pitcher Christopher Tankersley doubled.
On the mound, Tankersley worked three shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out three before giving way to Johnson.
The Knights are off until Tuesday, April 30, when they visit Wayne Christian.
Chargers lash Liberty to end skid
This time those free passes paid off for the Wilson Christian varsity baseball team.
After wasting 18 bases on balls by Bethel Christian pitchers in a 12-loss Monday, the Chargers bounced back Tuesday at home with a 15-0 three-inning defeat of Liberty Christian of Durham.
Wilson Christian drew 13 walks and ripped seven hits as it halted a three-game slide to improve to 9-8 overall and 6-1 in NCCSA 2-A East Region play. The Patriots remained winless through nine games, including eight in region play.
Sophom*ore Chris Lewis singled and tripled in two at-bats, knocking in four runs to lead the Chargers at the plate. Freshman Charlie Scott was 1 for 1 with two RBIs while eighth grader Mack Wiggins and sophom*ore Austin Coughlin each had a hit and knocked in a run. Wiggins also stole two bases.
Scott pitched the three-inning shutout, giving up one hit and walking two while striking out six.
Wilson Christian plays at Hilltop Christian in Fuquay-Varina on Friday.
Firebirds fall short vs. Knights
STANHOPE — Southern Nash’s comeback fell short by a run in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 5-4 home loss to Northern Nash in 2-A/3-A Big East Conference baseball action Tuesday.
The 3-A Firebirds trailed 4-0 and then 5-2 entering the home half of the seventh before scoring twice. The game ended with the tying run on third base for the Firebirds, who fell to 8-13 overall and 4-7 in Big East play. The 3-A Knights (11-7, 8-3 Big East) stayed a half-game back of 2-A Roanoke Rapids for the league lead.
Senior Blake Strickland took the mound loss for Southern Nash after giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits and four walks. He struck out six.
Brayden Parker, Jeremiah Battle and Isaiah Battle each singled for Southern Nash while Parker and Maddox Deans each had an RBI.
The teams will play again Thursday evening at Northern Nash.
GIRLS SOCCER
Villaverde, Little power WCA rout
Wilson Christian needed just one half of Tuesday’s girls soccer home game to thump Liberty Christian of Durham 12-0.
The mercy-rule ending at halftime left the Lady Chargers 7-5-1 overall and 5-1 in NCCSA 2-A East Region play while the Patriots slumped to 1-5 on both counts.
Senior Chloe Villaverde and junior Bri Little each scored two goals and passed out three assists as the Lady Chargers posted a 17-2 shots-on-goal advantage. Freshmen Charlie Kate Barnett and Kaylee Radford each scored twice while another ninth grader, Maddie Reynell, had a goal and two assists. Gracie Farmer, Brylan Harris and Melanie Raper each added a goal.
Goalkeeper Melia Hughes stopped both Libert Christian shots
The Lady Chargers head to Fuquay-Varina on Friday, April 26, to take on Hilltop Christian in a District 3 clash.
Knights throttle WCD 8-0
Junior Darcy Dean and senior Yazi Bulluck each scored a hat trick for their Greenfield School varsity girls soccer team in an 8-0 home win against Wayne Country Day on Tuesday.
Bulluck also had four assists, including all three of Dean’s goals, as the Knights climbed to 5-4-1 overall and 3-1 in 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference play.
“Yazi continues to improve as the season gets closer to the playoffs and evident by her stat line tonight,” said Greenfield head coach Randol Mendoza.
Junior Avery Williams stuck in an unassisted goal in the first half before Dean returned the favor to Bulluck for a 3-0 halftime lead. Sydney Coolbaugh had a goal and an assist in the second half while goalkeeper Gretchen Daniel made four saves in the shutout.
Greenfield heads to Wilmington on Thursday for a key CPIC game against Coastal Christian.
Cyclones post Senior Night shutout
Community Christian celebrated its varsity girls soccer seniors Faith Jones and Taylor Ricks with an 8-0 conquest of Bethel Assembly Christian of Windsor on Tuesday.
Barrett Godwin scored a goal to go with three assists while Maddie Campistruous knocked in a pair of goals as the Cyclones raised their overall record to 10-4 and 8-0 in Mid-Atlantic Christian Athletic Association 2-A North Conference play.
Katelyn Brown scored on a long free kick in the 10th minute. Haley Brown made it 2-0 on an Olivia Carter assist two minutes later. Godwin served up assists to Campistruous and Ellie Gay for a 4-0 halftime lead.
Barrett delivered another assist, this time to Amy Guzman, then scored on Ava Dunn’s pass. Autumn Bradshaw assisted on Campistruous’ second goal before Carter fed Dunn for the final goal in the 72nd minute.
Claire Carter and Anna Pierce combined in goal for the shutout.
CCS will visit Trinity Christian in Greenville on Friday afternoon.
Panthers pay back Bruins 2-1
KENLY — North Johnston scored a pair of first-half goals and that was enough to whip up a little payback for Beddingfield in 2-1 Panthers home win Tuesday.
North Johnston, which lost 4-3 at Beddingfield two weeks ago, got goals from Sydney Daughtry and Yarexi Velasquez as it climbed to 8-4-2 overall and 4-1-2 in 2-A Neuse 6 Conference play. Monica Trejo and Lola Ortiz had assists for the Panthers.
Beddingfield (5-6, 3-4 Neuse 6) struggled to get its offense going in the first half. Junior Iris Martinez punched in the Bruins’ goal with 28 minutes to play in the second half. Senior K.J. Hill had the assist but Beddingfield couldn’t get the equalizer.
“We had several more shots at goal in the second half than the first half,” said Bruins head coach Ed Hunter.
Junior Pinky Marshall came up with 15 saves in goal for the Bruins, who will play at Eastern Wayne on Thursday. The Panthers, who will host Goldsboro next, got six saves from Raylee Gurley and three from Peyton Ford.
SOFTBALL
Ladybirds sew up Big East crown
STANHOPE — Southern Nash clinched its third consecutive 2-A/3-A Big East Conference varsity softball championship and inched closer to an unbeaten regular season with a 10-0 home win against Northern Nash on Tuesday.
The 3-A Ladybirds, now 17-0 overall, won for the 11th time against Big East competition with only Thursday’s home game against Franklinton remaining.
Sarah Ewers fired a no-hitter for the Ladybirds in the game that ended after five innings due to the mercy rule. She struck out nine.
Kelsey Jones was 3 for 3 with four RBIs and two runs scored to lead Southern Nash at the plate. Carlee Beckham and Aliyah Croll each rapped a pair of hits for the Ladybirds.
The 3-A Knights tumbled to 4-11 overall and 2-9 in Big East games.
TRACK AND FIELD
Fike girls, CBA boys take QCC meet
Fike High senior Erin Pope won four individual races to lead the Golden Demon girls track and field team to victory in a four-team home meet against fellow 3-A Quad County Conference schools Hunt, C.B. Ayco*ck, West Johnston and Southern Wayne last Thursday, April 18.
In a display of versatility and endurance, Pope won the girls 400-meter dash as well as the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 runs to score 40 of Fike’s 235.5 points in the dominating win. Hunt was second with 93, followed by CBA (73.5), Southern Wayne (50) and West Johnston (48).
Jewel Brewington won the long jump and was unopposed in the triple jump for Fike, which also got first-place finishes from Mallory Jenkins in high jump, Aniyah Barnes in the 100 dash and JaKhyla Ruffin in shot put as well as the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams. Fike ran unopposed in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
Kristen Frazier edged Hunt teammate Serenity Frieson to win the girls 200 dash.
In the boys meet, Ayco*ck piled up 206 points to handily outpace runner-up Fike with 146. Hunt was third with 103.5, followed by West Johnston (85.5) and Southern Wayne (85).
The Golden Falcons swept the relays and won both hurdles with Jeremy Johnson first in the 110 and Deshawn Gordon taking the 300. Noah Carter won the 100 dash and Na’jay Jackson came across first in the 200. Travis Burton won high jump.
Runner-up Fike got wins from James Nestor in pole vault, Kam Barbee in discus and Kaleb Diggins in long jump.
Mason Gesell won both the 1,600 and 3,200 to lead Hunt, which also got wins from Deontrae Barnes in shot put and Christian Hall in the 800 run.
Hunt, C.B Ayco*ck and East Wake gather at West Johnston for a QCC meet Wednesday, April 24, while Fike, Southern Wayne and Smithfield-Selma visit South Johnston.
