A host of local middle school spring sports teams picked up a win on Monday.
Rockingham baseball defeats Cordova
Playing on the road Monday, the Rockingham baseball team got back in the win column with an 18-4 victory over Cordova Middle School in five innings.
Jason Gainey was the winning pitcher for the Rockets, going 3.2 innings and striking out 9 batters. Preston Fann pitched 1.1 innings of relief and had four strikeouts against the Cavaliers.
Tyler McKenzie and Caden Nolan both had a big day at the plate for the Rockets. McKenzie was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a three-run home run and four RBIs. Nolan drove in six RBIs on a 2-for-3 performance that also included a three-run blast.
Fann went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Andrae Streeter and Maddox Frye both added a hit and an RBI and Owen Whitley and Logan Staton each contributed one RBI on a ground out.
Carter Visingard, Cameron Quick and Lucky Cipriani all recorded a hit in the win. Improving to 5-3 on the season, the Rockets will travel to rival Hamlet on Thursday.
Note: No stats or information were provided for Cordova at the time of publication.
Hamlet baseball earns win over Sandy Grove
A pair of pitchers helped the Hamlet baseball team earn an 8-5 win over Sandy Grove Middle School on Monday. The game was played to five innings due to the time limit.
Tristan Chavis started the game and pitched 3.0 innings, allowing two hits, five earned runs and collected four strikeouts. Steve James pitched the final 2.0 innings and didn’t give up a hit and struck out four batters to get the win.
Head coach Anthony Hailey said despite Hamlet only being able to collect three hits, the Red Rams capitalized on the Panthers’ mistakes. He added that being patient at the plate allowed Hamlet to draw several walks.
Hailey noted that “we had several guys play important roles throughout the game to help us get another team win.”
James, Evan Hodges and Terande Spencer recorded a hit for the Red Rams. Improving to 7-0, Hamlet will host rival Rockingham on Thursday.
Ellerbe softball wins third-straight game
The Ellerbe Middle School softball team held off a late comeback attempt by Carver Middle School on Monday to win 9-8.
Breaking a 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh with three runs, the Lady Wildcats allowed two runs in the bottom half before closing the door for the win.
Ellerbe scored three runs in the top of the third inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. Drawing consecutive walks to lead off the inning were Lilly Hill, Carly McCormick and Abby Robinson, who all came around to score. Kaylee Connor had a double in the inning.
Trailing 5-3 to start the fifth, doubles from Kaylee Connor and Addison Raines, and singles from MacKenzie Hill and Addison Connor scored three runs in the frame to put Ellerbe up a run.
Singles by Kaylee Connor and MacKenzie Hill, coupled with a triple from Raines in the top of the seventh put Ellerbe ahead for good.
The Lady Wildcats are now 4-2 on the season and will play Spring Hill Middle School on Thursday.
Ellerbe baseball falls on the road at Carver
Also playing at Carver Middle School on Monday, the Ellerbe baseball team lost to the Eagles 18-3.
Leading the way at the plate for the Wildcats was Camden Williams, who finished the afternoon 2-for-2. Colton Brown and Jake Richardson both added a hit in two trips to the plate.
The Wildcats will return to action and also play Spring Hill on Thursday.
Note: Coaches Anthony Hailey, Grover McDonald, Jamie McDonald and Tommy Shelton submitted scores and details for this article. No other stats or information were reported by the time of publication.
Coaches can submit details to be published by emailing kpillar@richmondobserver.com.
