NCHSAA release
As usual, pitching and defense should be featured as the top
fast-pitch teams in the state prepare for the North Carolina High School
Athletic Association state championships this weekend.
The top four teams in each classification have qualified for the
double-elimination tournaments at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. All
four of the championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
The opening rounds pair Eastern representatives against Eastern
representatives and West against West.
Here is a look at each of the four championships:
Class 4-A: Perennial power Alexander Central, which is riding a 13-game
win streak, will take on North Davidson in a battle of teams with 28-1
records on the opening day of play.
Alexander’s top pitcher is Chelsea Wilkinson (28-1, 323 strikeouts)
while North Davidson will counter with a pitching duo of Hannah Alexander
(14-1, 0.27 ERA) and Tess Swing (14-0, 0.58 ERA). Tisha Mahon is hitting a
sizzling .562 for North, which finished as state runners-up a year ago.
The other 4-A matchup will send Fuquay-Varina (20-4) against New Bern
(17-7). New Bern finished fifth in its conference but qualified for the
playoffs and has been hot. Four-year starter Alex Warren of New Bernis an
excellent shortstop who scored the winning run in New Bern’s playoff win
over Cape Fear on Friday. New Bern junior pitcher Kelsey Sanfilippo is 14-0 with an 0.78 ERA.
Fuquay-Varina senior pitcher Alex Ryan is 20-4 with an 0.58 ERA.
Class 3-A: Southwestern Randolph (27-1) will play Asheville T.C.
Roberson (28-2) in one opener. Southwestern, the 2001 and ‘07 3-A state
champ, makes its fourth straight trip to the finals.
Anna Maness pretty much does it all for Southwestern, with a 23-1 mound
mark and an 0.54 ERA to go with a .621 batting average and eight homers.
Roberson’s Kaitlin Ramsey sports a .434 batting average while sophomore
third baseman Jordan Critcher leads the team in homers (8) and RBI (27).
Erwin Triton (24-4), winner of 15 straight, takes on Pikeville Charles
B. Aycock (25-2) in the other Friday opener. Triton makes its second
consecutive trip to Walnut Creek, led by junior pitcher Candice Faircloth
(21-4, 0.52 ERA and team-leading .431 average at the plate), part of a young
team that starts six sophomores, three freshmen and only one senior.
Aycock junior second baseman Torie Benton leads her club at the plate
with a .397 mark while catcher Anna Sullivan has 35 RBI, more than twice as
many as anybody else on the team.
Class 2-A: Unbeaten Richlands (26-0) takes on West Stokes (21-6) in
the East regional matchup. Mikayla Jarman of Richlands has a perfect 26-0
pitching mark and was the East Central Conference Player of the Year, while
West is led by two-time North State Conference Player of the Year Samantha
Wilson, who is batting .480.
Black Mountain Charles D. Owen (21-5) will battle two-time defending
champion Central Davidson (18-7) in the other 2-A opener Friday.
Central is in the Final Four for the fourth straight season after going
33-0 a year ago, while Owen is a young team with no seniors. Stephanie Jones
is batting .488 with seven homers for Owen.
Class 1-A: One battle in this classification is a rematch of last
year’s state championship game between East Surry (27-2) and Swain County
(21-6). East beat Swain 1-0 in the West Regional game last year and then
beat the Maroon Devils again in the final, 6-0.
Swain makes its fourth consecutive visit to Walnut Creek, paced by
sophomore pitcher Shelby Parker (18-4, 0.42 ERA) and Kayla Myers with a .506
batting average. East Surry’s Courtney Simmons leads her club in most
offensive categories (.457, 4 HR, 32 RBI) while Hayley Shelton has a 17-0
pitching mark and 0.19 ERA.
North Johnston (21-4) tangles with Jamesville (15-4) in the other
opening 1-A game. Jamesville rides an 11-game win streak into the finals and
is an extremely young team with only senior on the roster.
North, which has won the last six Carolina 1-A Conference titles and
makes its fourth trip to the state semifinals since 2000, has sophomore
first baseman Lindsay Tippett batting a sizzling .530 while Tayler Creech is
North’s top hurler (17-3, 0.83 ERA).
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2009 STATE FAST PITCH SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Walnut Creek Softball Complex, Raleigh
CLASS 4-A
Fuquay-Varina (20-4) vs. New Bern (17-7), Friday at 5 p.m. (Field 1)
Alexander Central (28-1) vs. North Davidson (28-1), Friday at 5 p.m. (Field
2)
Winners' bracket final Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 1)
Elimination game Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 2)
Losers' bracket final Saturday at 11 am (Field 1)
Championship game Saturday at 1:30 pm (Field 1); if needed, a second game
will follow at 4 pm
CLASS 3-A
Erwin Triton (24-4) vs. Pikeville Charles B. Aycock (25-2), Friday at 5 p.m.
(Field 3)
Southwestern Randolph (27-1) vs. Asheville T.C. Roberson (28-2) Friday at 5
pm (Field 4)
Winners' bracket final Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 3)
Elimination game Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 4)
Losers' bracket final Saturday at 11 am (Field 2)
Championship game Saturday at 1:30 pm (Field 2); if needed, a second game
will follow at 4 pm
CLASS 2-A
West Stokes (21-6) vs. Richlands (26-0), Friday at 5 pm (Field 8)
Black Mountain Charles D. Owen (21-5) vs. Central Davidson (18-7), Friday at
5 pm (Field 9)
Winners' bracket final Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 8)
Elimination game Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 9)
NOTE: West Stokes has graduation ceremonies Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday
game times are subject to change.
Losers' bracket final Saturday at 11 am (Field 4)
Championship game Saturday at 1:30 pm (Field 4); if needed, a second game
will follow at 4 pm
CLASS 1-A
North Johnston (21-4) vs. Jamesville (15-4), Friday at 5 pm (Field 6)
Swain County (21-6) vs. East Surry (27-2), Friday at 5 pm (Field 7)
Winners' bracket final Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 6)
Elimination game Friday at 7:30 pm (Field 7)
Losers' bracket final Saturday at 11 am (Field 3)
Championship game Saturday at 1:30 pm (Field 3); if needed, a second game
will follow at 4 pm
