Wednesday’s roundup: Pro baseball, High school football, girls soccer, softball and baseball

By Richard Walker

Sixteen North Carolina high school products are on major league rosters this season, including nine former American Legion products and among them are former South Point High and Gaston Braves Post 144-266 standout Jeffrey Springs.

Springs, a 2011 South Point High graduate, is in his first season as a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays and has previously pitched for the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

Other Legion products are Kannapolis Post 115’s Corey Seager (Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop) and Kyle Seager (Seattle Mariners third baseman), Pineville Post 337’s Daniel Bard (Colorado Rockies pitcher), Caldwell County Post 29’s Madison Bumgarner (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher), New Bern Post 24’s Shawn Armstrong (Baltimore Orioles pitcher), McDowell County Post 56’s Greg Holland (Kansas City Royals pitcher), High Point Post 87’s Wil Myers (San Diego Padres outfielder) and Clayton Post 71’s Chris Archer (Tampa Bay Rays pitcher).

The Seager brothers are Northwest Cabarrus High graduates – Corey 2012 and Kyle 2006, with Bard a 2003 Charlotte Christian graduate, Bumgarner a 2007 South Caldwell graduate, Armstrong a 2008 West Craven graduate, Holland a 2004 McDowell County High graduate, Myers a 2009 High Point Wesleyan graduate and Archer a 2006 Clayton High graduate.

Other North Carolina high school products currently in the majors are Chicago Cubs pitcher Dillon Maples (Pinecrest 2011 graduate), Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon (Holly Springs 2011), Cincinnati Reds second baseman Max Schrock (Cardinal Gibbons 2012), Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield (Davie County 2007), Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (Sanderson 2016), San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood (Kell 2009) and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton (Kell 2012).

 

High school football

Conference standings for area leagues listed by conference record, overall record:

BIG SOUTH 3A
Crest 5-0, 6-0
Kings Mountain 5-0, 6-0
Ashbrook 3-2, 3-3
Forestview 2-3, 3-3
Huss 2-3, 2-3
Cramer 1-4, 1-5
North Gaston 0-6, 0-6

SOUTHWESTERN 2A
Shelby 5-1, 5-2
Burns 4-1, 4-2
Chase 3-2, 4-2
R-S Central 3-2, 4-2
South Point 3-2, 4-2
East Gaston 1-5, 1-5
East Rutherford 0-6, 0-7

SOUTH FORK 2A
Maiden 5-0, 5-0
West Lincoln 4-2, 4-2
East Lincoln 3-2, 4-2
Newton-Conover 2-3, 2-3
North Lincoln 2-3, 3-3
Lincolnton 1-4, 1-4
Bandys 1-4, 1-4

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A
Pine Lake Prep 5-0, 6-0
Thomas Jefferson 5-0, 6-0
Community Davidson 4-1, 5-1
Christ the King 3-3, 3-3
Highland Tech 1-3, 1-3
Union Academy 1-4, 1-4
Bessemer City 1-4, 1-5
Cherryville 1-4, 1-5
Mtn Isl Charter 1-4, 1-5

This week’s games
(Friday)
Bessemer City at Cherryville
Chase at South Point
Crest at Kings Mountain
East Gaston at North Gaston
Forestview at Cramer
Highland Tech at Christ the King
Huss at Ashbrook
Lincolnton at Maiden
Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy
Newton-Conover at East Lincoln
Pine Lake Prep at Community School of Davidson
R-S Central at Burns
Shelby at East Rutherford
West Lincoln at Cherokee

I-MECK 4A
Hough 6-0, 6-0
Vance 6-0, 6-0
Lake Norman 4-2, 4-2
Mallard Creek 3-3, 3-3
Mooresville 1-4, 1-4
North Meck 1-4, 1-4
Hopewell 1-5, 1-5
West Charlotte 1-5, 1-5

SOUTHWESTERN 4A
Myers Park 6-0, 6-0
Butler 5-1, 5-1
Porter Ridge 4-2, 4-2
Hickory Ridge 4-2, 4-2
Independence 2-4, 2-4
Rocky River 2-4, 2-4
East Meck 1-5, 1-5
Garinger 0-6, 0-6

SOUTHERN MECK 4A
Providence 5-0, 6-0
Olympic 5-1, 5-1
Kell 4-1, 5-1
South Meck 2-3, 3-3
Berry Academy 1-4, 2-4
West Meck 1-4, 1-5
Harding 0-5, 0-6

This week’s games
(Friday)
East Meck at Butler
Garinger at Rocky River
Harding at Berry Academy
Hopewell at West Charlote
Hough at Vance
Independence at Myers Park
Lake Norman at North Meck
Mooresville at Mallard Creek
Olympic at West Cabarrus
Porter Ridge at Hickory Ridge
Providence at Kell
West Meck at South Meck

 

High school girls soccer

Crest 6, Forestview 0: Alexis Marshall (2 goals), Leslie Gonzalez (1 goal), Madison Setzer (1 goal, 1 assist), Kalee Varga (1 goal), Cadence Walker (1 goal, 1 assist), Jillian Hux (1 assist), goalkeeper Emma Harrill and defenders Olivia-Claire Wall and Hannah Merritt led Crest (7-1, 6-1), which hosts Cramer on Monday at 5 p.m.

South Point 9, Burns 0

Lake Norman Charter 7, East Lincoln 0

 

High school softball

Crest 18, Forestview 0 (4 innings)

Cramer 7, Kings Mountain 6

Burns 16, South Point 1 (5 innings): Winning pitcher Sayge Strange had 13 strikeouts while tossing a one-hitter for Burns, who offense was led by Maura Pendleton (3-5, triple, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases), Strange (3-4, double, 3 RBIs), Morgan Blanton (2-4, 1 RBI) and Meah Ivie (2-4, double, 1 RBI). Ashleigh Burns had one hit and one RBI for South Point.

Shelby 4, East Gaston 2

East Lincoln 7, Newton-Conover 0: Winning pitcher Payton Baker struck out 11 and yielded three hits to improve to 7-0 for East Lincoln (7-0), which hosts Bandys on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Mustangs offensive support for Baker came from Taliyah Thomas (1 single, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 stolen base), Katelynn Crowe (1 triple), Betsy Eatmon (2 singles, home run, 4 RBIs), Katie Hogue (1 single, 1 stolen base), Bailey Hardin (1 single, 1 double) and Erin Homesley (1 triple, 1 RBI).

 

High school baseball

York, S.C., Spring Break Slugfest
Tuesday’s first round
Gaffney d. Indian Land
South Pointe 7, Rock Hill 2
Nation Ford 13, Andrew Jackson 7
York 13, Buford 2 (5 innings)

Wednesday’s second round
Rock Hill vs. Andrew Jackson
Indian Land 8, Buford 5
South Pointe 11, Gaffney 1
Nation Ford 5, York 1