NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 4-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
DAVID BUTLER WINS THIRD CONSECUTIVE NCHSAA STATE SOFTBALL TITLE
RALEIGH— McKenzie Morenus hit a two-run home run in a big fourth inning as defending state champion Matthews David Butler rallied to beat North Davidson 5-3 in the championship game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Saturday.
Butler finished the season a perfect 28-0 while North Davidson wound up 27-5, with both losses in the state tournament to Butler.
The victorious Bulldogs had trailed 2-0 entering the fourth before exploding for five runs. Jessica Bowen also had a run-scoring double in the big frame and Melinda Collins, who was selected as the tournament Most Valuable Player, drove home a couple of runs in the inning as well as coming up with a couple of excellent defensive plays.
Butler had rallied from a 2-0 deficit against North in its tournament opener and went on to win 5-2, and then blanked Durham Riverside 1-0. Orr had limited both teams to just two hits each in earning the pitching victories Friday night, striking out a total of 28.
Earlier on Saturday, North Davidson advanced to the championship game with a convincing 11-0 six-inning victory over Durham Riverside, which eliminated the Pirates. North took advantage of three walks and an error to produce three runs in the first but then ended the game with a six-run sixth inning.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 4-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Matthews David Butler 5, North Davidson 2
Durham Riverside 2, Apex Middle Creek 1
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
David Butler 1, Riverside 0
ELIMINATION GAME
North Davidson 2, Middle Creek 1
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
North Davidson 11, Riverside 0 (6 innings)
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
David Butler 5, North Davidson 3
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 3-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
SOUTH CENTRAL BEATS SOUTHWESTERN RANDOLPH FOR 3-A TITLE
RALEIGH – Andrea Britt had two hits and drove in two runs on Saturday afternoon as Winterville South Central blanked Southwestern Randolph 3-0 to earn the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Britt, a senior infielder, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Kimberly Boltinhouse and freshman Morgan Davis also had two hits apiece in South Central’s nine-hit attack. Caitlin Wainwright was the winning pitcher, holding Southwestern Randolph to just one hit and fanning seven in firing the shutout. Anna Maness was charged with the loss.
South Central finished 25-2 in winning its initial NCHSAA state softball crown. Southwestern Randolph closed the year at 24-4.
Southwestern, the defending state champs but a young team this year with only three seniors on the roster, advanced to the title game by beating Triton earlier on Saturday by a 4-0 count on a five-hit shutout by Maness, who helped her own cause with a two-run homer. Amelia Frye also had two hits and an RBI for the winners, while Stephanie Wood had two hits in three trips for Triton.
Triton ended its year at 22-7.
South Central had opened play Friday night with a 6-3 victory over Erwin Triton to advance to play Southwestern. Wainwright got the win in both of the Falcons’ victories on the first day of the tournament. Shakemia Edwards had two hits for the winners in their first game, and then Carly Hobbs was the big hitter in the second contest with a three for four night including a home run.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 3-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Southwestern Randolph 1, Enka 0 (9 innings)
Winterville South Central 6, Erwin Triton 3
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
South Central 9, Southwestern Randolph 8
ELIMINATION GAME
Triton 1, Enka 0 (9 innings)
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
Southwestern Randolph 4, Triton 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
South Central 3, Southwestern Randolph 0
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
LEONARD LEADS CENTRAL DAVIDSON TO STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH – Chelsea Leonard of Central Davidson continued her dominant play on Saturday, firing a one-hit shutout in the championship game as Central Davidson blanked South Lenoir 7-0 to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Leonard was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament for the second consecutive year as Central completed a perfect 32-0 season, with Leonard winning 29 of those.
She fanned 12 in the final game, her third consecutive one-hitter in the state tournament. She fired a one-hit shutout in the first game Friday, a 2-0 victory over Canton Pisgah in which she struck out 16 and did not walk a batter, and followed with a 15-strikeout, one-hit blanking of South Lenoir.
Central scored one in the first, two in the second and then four in the third en route to the win against South Lenoir pitcher Kayla Cole. Nicole Perry, Hannah Buie, Whitney Lohr and Kara Lohr each had two hits for the winners.
Kara Tucker had the lone base hit for South Lenoir, which ended the year 21-6 overall.
South Lenoir had gotten past Canton Pisgah 3-1 earlier on Saturday in the finals of the loser’s bracket. Cole was the winning pitcher, fanning nine, and she also had two hits and two runs batted in. Pisgah was eliminated with a record of 22-7.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Central Davidson 2, Canton Pisgah 0
South Lenoir 3, West Stokes 2
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Central Davidson 1, South Lenoir 0
ELIMINATION GAME
Pisgah 5, West Stokes 0
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
South Lenoir 3, Pisgah 1
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Central Davidson 7, South Lenoir 0
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
SHELTON PITCHES EAST SURRY TO STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH – Sophomore pitcher Hayley Shelton fired a three-hit shutout in the title game to earn Most Valuable Player honors on Saturday as East Surry blanked Swain 6-0 to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Shelton and Swain pitcher Katie Jo Moss were engaged in a scoreless duel after five innings but East Surry exploded for six runs in the sixth to put the game away. Shelton finished the game with 14 strikeouts.
Paige Honeycutt had three hits for the winners while Brooke Thomas, Samantha Smith, Beth Isaacs and Kaitlin Shinault had two hits apiece. East Surry, which won a state championship in 2005, completed a 30-2 season while Swain wound up with a school record 27 victories against four losses in its third straight trip to Walnut Creek.
Swain advanced to the championship with a 6-0 triumph over East Carteret earlier on Saturday as Cook tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out six. Sophomore catcher Kayla Myers led the 13-hit attack for Swain with a three for four performance. East Carteret ended its season 23-3.
East Surry had opened on Friday night with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Swain, with Shelton firing a one-hitter for the winners and striking out 16, outdueling Kristen Cook, who got her first loss of the year.
But the Lady Cards’ second game was a much easier five-inning affair, an 11-1 win over East Carteret as junior catcher Paige Honeycutt drove home four runs and Courtney Simmons had four hits in four at bats.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
East Surry 1, Swain 0
East Carteret 4, Manteo 2 (8 innings)
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
East Surry 11, East Carteret 1 (5 innings)
ELIMINATION GAME
Swain 2, Manteo 1
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
Swain 6, East Carteret 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
East Surry 6, Swain 0
