Prep playoffs wind down

Mike Duprez

Randolph Hub

Here’s a recap of some of the Randolph County sports highlights from last week.

PREP BASEBALL

*Jake Hunter pitched a six-hitter with seven strikeouts as No. 2 Uwharrie Charter beat No. 4 Mount Airy 4-0 in Game 1 of the 1-A Western Regional championship series. Walker Wilkins had a double, single and two RBIs to lead the offense. Trey Kennedy also had two hits while Landon Zephir contributed a run-scoring single.

*Brett Smith pitched a two-hitter but Uwharrie Charter fell 1-0 to Mount Airy in Game 2 of the 1-A Western Regional championship series. Caleb Stickle and Carter Brown had the Eagles’ only hits against 6-foot-7, 250-pound senior Kam Hawks, who struck out 12.

In 16 appearances in 2024, Hawks finished with a 0.37 ERA after giving up only 13 hits (including the two against UCA) in 75.1 innings pitched. He finished with 161 strikeouts and 42 walks against the 295 batters he faced.

*Uwharrie Charter routed Mount Airy 12-0 in Game 3 of the 1-A Western Regional championship series. The defending state champions advanced to the title series with the win. The Eagles scored nine runs in the top of the seventh inning to turn the game into a runaway.

SOFTBALL

*Macie Crutchfield pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no earned runs, but No. 4 Southwestern Randolph fell 1-0 in eight innings to No. 2 North Stanly in Game 1 of the 2-A Western Regional championship series. Micah Wilson had two hits for the Cougars.

*Madelyn Smith went 4-for-6 and drove in both runs as Southwestern Randolph outlasted North Stanly 2-1 in 13 innings to even their 2-A Western Regional championship series at 1-1. Crutchfield went the distance, scattering 10 hits and striking out 10.

*Crutchfield hurled a five-hitter with five strikeouts as Southwestern Randolph beat North Stanly 2-0 in the deciding Game 3 of the 2-A Western Regional championship series. The Cougars, who will play Midway in the state championship series, scored their first run on an error. Alyssa Harris also had an RBI single.

SOCCER

*Ellie Garrison scored two goals as No. 6 Wheatmore beat No. 3 Wilkes Central 3-0 in the third round of the 2-A state playoffs. Bri Hill got the other goal for the Warriors. Natalie Bowman and Garrison each had an assist while Lucy Lockwood made four saves.

*Jazmin Palma scored a pair of goals as No. 3 Uwharrie Charter held off No. 22 Bradford Prep 3-2 in the third round of the 1-A state playoffs. Reese Craven scored the other goal and Lily Charlesworth had an assist. Alexis Marion had a busy night in the net with 18 saves.

*Garrison and Bowman each scored two goals as Wheatmore knocked off No. 2 Hendersonville in the fourth round of the 2-A state playoffs. Lockwood made seven saves.

* No. 3 Uwharrie Charter dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 2 Polk County in the fourth round of the 1-A playoffs.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

*Asheboro’s Lance Everhart was fourth in the pole vault in the 3-A state championship meet.

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

*Jackson Berger pitched a five-inning one-hitter as Liberty ran over Moore County 11-1. Ethan Frye had two hits and three RBIs. Jayten Beasley, Logan Fox and Ethan Lester each doubled in a run. 

*Andrew Thomas had a triple, single and two RBIs in Liberty’s 9-3 win over Wilkes County. Fox had a triple, double and RBI. Shane Immel had a hit and RBI. Beasley allowed two earned runs with five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings to get the win.

*Drew Harmon had two hits and two RBIs to help lead Randolph County to an 8-6 win over Mocksville-Davie. Clay Hill and Tate Andrews each had an RBI single. Braxton Walker got the win and Samuel Asbill earned the save.

*Austin Smith had two hits and two RBIs in Liberty’s 7-4 loss to Hamlet. Ethan Lester had a hit and RBI.

*Gavin Allen had a run-scoring single in Randolph County’s 4-1 loss to Chatham County. Drake Purvis took the loss.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

*Former Asheboro star Trevor Marsh of UNC-Wilmington was named to the Coastal Athletic Association all-conference team. Marsh hit .357 with a career-high 14 home runs for the Seahawks.

*Former Asheboro standout Tanner Marsh of Liberty University was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team after hitting .273 with four home runs for the Flames.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Former Southwestern Randolph standout Alex Coleman of the University of North Carolina was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region team. Coleman led the Tar Heels with a .436 batting average, which was the third best in program history. It was the highest batting average by a UNC player since 1996.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS

*Trinity state champion Gavin Hardister signed with Iowa Western for wrestling. Hardister was 38-0 in his senior season while helping the Bulldogs to the 2-A dual team state championship. He was also the 215-pound champion in the individual state tournament.

*Eastern Randolph’s Logann Beaver signed with Davidson-Davie Community College for volleyball.

*Samuel Asbill of Eastern Randolph signed with Guilford Tech for baseball. Asbill was a career .389 hitter.

ZOOKEEPERS BASEBALL

*Former Randleman star Hunter Adkins was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs as the Zookeepers opened their 2024 season with an 8-4 win over the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. R.J. Jimerson was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. David Johnson pitched five innings of one-hit relief with five strikeouts to get the win.