Smith, Crutchfield, 3 more area players make 2-A All-State

Mike Duprez

Randolph Hub

The softball-rich Randolph County area had good represen-tation on all-state and all-district teams announced recently. Here’s a look at who was recognized in this week’s roundup. 

SOFTBALL

*Madelyn Smith and Macie Crutchfield of 2-A state champion Southwestern Randolph were named to the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association 2-A all-state team. They were joined by Devon Kelly and Callie Lambert of Providence Grove and Wheatmore’s Carmen Turgeon.

*Eastern Randolph’s Addie Flinchum, Ayanna Mears and Ziera Watson were named to NCSCA 1-A all-state team. Uwharrie Charter’s Mollie Bulla and Kenzie Hill also made the all-state team.

*Watson was named NCSCA District 5 Player of the Year and Bulla was named Pitcher of the Year. Logann Beaver, Flinchum, Mears and Watson also made the all-district team.

*Providence Grove’s Ruby Caudle, Gracie Smith, Kelly and Lambert made the 2-A all-district team. Also making the all-district team were Southwestern Randolph’s Alyssa Harris, Madelyn Smith and Crutchfield, and Wheatmore’s Maddie Nichols and Turgeon.

ZOOKEEPERS BASEBALL

*Dylan Driver smashed a grand slam on a night when he was 2-for-5 with six RBIs as the Zookeepers routed High Point-Thomasville 18-5. Zach Evans smashed two home runs with four RBI while Nick Capozzi belted a two-run homer. Hunter Atkins was 2-for-4. Peter Mullin got the win with four innings of one-hit relief. The ZooKeepers drew 11 walks.

*The ZooKeepers’ Daniel Thompson was named Coastal Plain League Player of the Week for Week 8. Thompson allowed one hit in two appearances covering 8 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.

*Alex LaCoste was 2-for-4, including his first home run of the season, and had four RBIs in the ZooKeepers’ 8-7 loss to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. Evan Harding had a run-scoring single and Atkins contributed a sacrifice fly. Thompson hurled 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief — getting all five outs by strikeout.

*Yariel Diaz was 3-for-5 with an RBI in the Zookeepers’ 11-5 loss to the Boone Bigfoots. Capozzi was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Driver had a pair of doubles.

BROOKS BRANNON UPDATE    

*The former Randleman star smashed his third home run of the season and doubled in four at-bats in the Salem Red Sox’s 8-6 loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds.

In a 5-3 win over Lynchburg, Brannon was 2-for-5.