Summer baseball in full swing

Mike Duprez

Randolph Hub

State titles, the end of a record-setting soccer career, awards and college signings ... here’s a recap of a busy sports week in Randolph County.

American Legion Baseball

- Drake Purvis pitched a five-hitter with nine strikeouts as Randolph County downed Hamlet 5-1. Drew Harmon had a hit and two RBIs. Braxton Walker had three hits and an RBI. Jake Riddle had a hit and an RBI. 

Walker had a hit and drove in both runs in Randolph County’s 6-2 loss to Mocksville-Davie. Connor Adams pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts.

- Caleb Dunn smacked a two-run double in Randolph County’s 4-1 win over Rowan County. Harmon had a run-scoring single and Clay Hill had three hits. Samuel Asbill scattered seven hits with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Riddle got the final two outs and earned a save.

- Noah Lester went 3-for-3 with and an RBI while Ethan Lest also had three hits, including a double, and an RBI as Liberty beat Mocksville-Davie 9-2. Cade McCallum and Andrew Thomas both had two hits. Bryson Marley pitched an eight-hitter with four strikeouts.

- Caleb Stickle smashed a three-run homer but Randolph County fell 7-4 in 10 innings to Chatham County. Riddle had two hits.

- Marley had three hits and two RBIs in Liberty’s 12-4 win over Moore County. Logan Fox had three hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Jayten Beasley had two hits and an RBI. Bauer Bowling had a double, single and an RBI. McCallum also had two hits. Brody Engle hurled three perfect innings and got the win.

Prep Baseball

- Caleb Stickle and Jake Hunter from two-time state champion Uwharrie Charter were named to the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association all-state team.

Randleman’s Seth Way and Brady Armfield of Southwestern Randolph were named to the 2-A all-state team.

Also named to the All-Region 5 team were Braxton Walker (Randleman), Brett Smith (Uwharrie Charter), Trey Kennedy (Uwharrie Charter), Carter Brown (Uwharrie Charter), Walker Wilkins (Uwharrie Charter), Parker Kimes (Wheatmore), Clay Hill (Wheatmore), Caleb Coggins (Wheatmore), Ayden Byrd (Wheatmore), Ethan Willard (Trinity), Zach Scruggs (Southwestern Randolph), Jonah Campbell (Southwestern Randolph) and Jake Lunsford (Southwestern Randolph).

- Way was named Player of the Year in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Randleman’s Jake Riddle was chosen Pitcher of the Year and the Tigers’ Jake Smith was named Coach of the Year.

The rest of the all-PAC team was composed of Randleman’s Tate Andrews, Caden Lasley and Walker; 1-A state champion Uwharrie Charter’s Trou Carver, Trey Kennedy, Brett Smith and Stickle; Wheatmore’s Hill, Coggins and Kines; Southwestern Randolph’s Armfield, Campbell and Lunsford; Providence Grove’s Jayten Beasley and Andrew Thomas; and Eastern Randolph’s Samuel Asbill.

Zookeepers Baseball

- Owen Blackledge went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the Zookeepers’ 5-4 loss to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. Sam Seidel was 2-for-6 with an RBI. Zach Evans was 3-for-5.

- James Hankerson was 1-for-3 with two RBIs in the Zookeepers’ 8-3 loss to Martinsville.

Brooks Brannon update

The former Randleman star has rejoined the Class A Salem (Va.) Red Sox after a rehab stint with the FCL Red Sox. In his first game of the season in Salem on June 4, Brannon went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Softball

Eastern Randolph’s Addie Flinchum was named Player of the Year in the PAC while the Eagles’ Mollie Bulla took Pitcher of the Year and Haven Marine was Coach of the Year.

The rest of the all-PAC team included Macie Crutchfield, Alyssa Harris, Madelyn Smith, Maddie Strider and Nautica Parrish of 2-A state champion Southwestern Randolph; Uwharrie Charter’s Kenzie Hill and Katelyn West; Randleman’s Addyson Dees, Kinzie Ivey, Kaylee Phillips and Kaylie St. John; Eastern Randolph’s Logann Beaver, Ayanna Mears and Ziera Watson; Providence Grove’s Ruby Caudle, Devon Kelly and Callie Lambert; Wheatmore’s Carmen Turgeon; and Trinity’s Karrington Batten.

Girls Soccer

Record-setting forward Ellie Garrison of Wheatmore made the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association 2-A all-state team as did teammate Natalie Bowman. 

Garrison, who has signed with Appalachian State, scored an NCHSAA record 277 goals in her career at Wheatmore.

Uwharrie Charter Academy midfielder Lily Charlesworth was named to the 1-A all-state team.

A total of 25 county players were named to NCSCA all-region teams.

Uwharrie Charter’s Reese Craven, Alexis Marion, Jazmin Palma and Charlesworth made the 1-A All-Region 8 team.

Making the 2-A All-Region 8 team were Wheatmore’s Shea Driggers, Maggie Messner, Kynnedi Routh, Garrison and Bowman; Providence Grove’s Caroline DuVall, Anaeli Garza, Brooke Ingram, Alisa Shaw and Taryn Waugh; Randleman’s Emily Jaramillo Avila and Kendall Fortson; Trinity’s Darrah Anthony, Deanna Cobb and Bryn Holden; and Southwestern Randolph’s Macy Allred. Providence Grove’s Eddie Tuck was named Region 8 Coach of the Year.

Asheboro’s Jaira Arellano, Carlisle Dozier, Itzel Macias and Penny Smith were named to the 3-A All-Region 7 team. The Blue Comets’ Emily Ramon was named Region 7 Coach of the Year.

Garrison was named Offensive Player of the Year in the PAC while Ingram got Defensive Player of the Year honors and Tuck was chosen Coach of the Year.

Comprising the rest of the all-PAC team were Wheatmore’s Kaitlyn Vazquez, Lucy Lockwood, Bowman, Driggers, Messner and Routh; Providence Grove’s Sarah Majors, Waugh, DuVall and Garza; Uwharrie Charter’s Kendal Jarrell, Laken Sexton, Palma and Charlesworth; Randleman’s Kendall Goss, Avila and Fortson; Trinity’s Anthony, Cobb and Holden; Southwestern Randolph’s Lucy Griffin and Allred; and Eastern Randolph’s Cora Sparrow.

Tennis

Wheatmore’s Silas Jessup was named Player of the Year in the PAC and Southwestern Randolph’s Krista Gurgainus was selected Coach of the Year.

Uwharrie Charter’s Aiden Allred, Colton Bryant, Cadence Butler and Evan Morrin; Trinity’s Cohen Crotts, Dominic Payne and Trey Groves; Wheatmore’s Avery Plummer; Providence Grove’s Tucker Batten; and Southwestern Randolph’s Rodolfo Fiscal and Asher Perkins rounded out the all-PAC team.

Golf

Wheatmore’s Ryan Marshall was named Player of the Year in the PAC and the Warriors’ Pete Kilcullen was chosen Coach of the Year.

Uwharrie Charter’s Coen Branson, Brodie Lambeth and Will Thompson; Trinity’s Bo Earnhardt; Southwestern Randolph’s Brayden Chapman and Reece Poe; Providence Grove’s Brady Collins and Cooper Wright;and Eastern Randolph’s Tyler Gee rounded out the all-PAC team.

Boys Track & Field

Randleman’s Chase Farlow, the 2-A state champion in the high jump, was named Most Valuable Track Athlete in Track in the PAC. Wheatmore’s Zach Hazelwood was selected Most Outstanding Runner, Randleman’s Ty Moton was named Most Outstanding Field Event winner and the Tigers’ Marty Collinson was named Coach of the Year.

The rest of the all-PAC team was comprised of Randleman’s Kevin Allred, Jonathan Blankenship, Tristan Chriscoe, Jedidiah Dake, Amari Ferdna, Jaden Martinez, Bryson Nall, Jay Richards and Luke Richardson; Wheatmore’s Danny Craig, Devonte Jenkins, Dakota Ludwick, Sa’Cory Maryland and Peyton McDevitt; Providence Grove’s Jackson Rhyne, Christian Swaim and Ashton Taylor; Trinity’s Memphis Chap, Andrew Cox, Riley Foster, Giovanni Jaimes, Mitchell Marin-Pulido, Tommy Smithers, Caleb Shelton and James Jones.

Girls Track & Field

Randleman’s Gracie Beane was named Most Valuable Track Athlete in the PAC while Providence Grove’s Jensen Auman was Most Outstanding Runner, 1-A discus state champion Mirianna Corea and Trinity’s Kensley Fox were Co-Most Outstanding Field Event winners and Providence Grove’s Brett Andrews was Coach of the Year.

Providence Grove’s Laurel Bernhardt, Aaliyah Burpee, Reese Davis, Karis Ferguson, Aubrey Goodman, Abby Lewis, Kenzie Mundy, Haylee Sodlink and Mailey Way; Southwestern Randolph’s Zuyanah Crawford, Ay-Janai Doggett, Jordin George, Gracie Hodgin, Kiersten Littell and Coley Shiflet; Randleman’s Janiya Brooks; Wheatmore’s Olivia Hildreth and Kahmarii McNeil; and Trinity’s Kayla Franklin and Sarabeth Johnson rounded out the all-PAC team.