Northern Falls in Second Round

It has been Northern's biggest problem all year, scoring runs.  Today hosting Southern Lee the Knights season comes to an end after Southern Lee scored four times while holding the Knights to just two.  There is only one senior on the Knights roster and that player is a back up.  If there was a preseason vote today Northern would be the odds on favorite to repeat as conference champion next year.

Hunt is the only Big East team to advance to the third round of the state baseball playoffs.  Hunt beat Southern Wayne 4-3.  Round three they will hit the road for the first time as they travel to Topsoil the team that beat Fike in Round 2.  Hunt baseball becomes the last team in football, basketball and baseball to be standing in the Big East during the playoffs.  To say the least this has been a great season for Hunt sports.

Softball from the Big East is down to one as Southern Nash has advanced to round three.  Southern beat beat West Carteret 6-1 to advance.  They play C B Aycock in round three.  Hunt lost their second round game 2-1.

The Big East got only two teams in the state playoffs in soccer and the second round  there is one left just like baseball and softball which have 4 and 3 teams in the playoffs.  The second round Fike Won 2-1 while Hunt lost 2-1.

There were 11,000 people who bought tickets back in April  to see the only game this year between North Carolina and North Carolina  State in Baseball.  It was rained out and the game was never made up. Today Carolina lost at Miami 2-0 while  Clemson was winning and by doing so Carolina dropped to  7th in the final ACC standings.


Today State lost 8-5 and by doing so State finishes  10th in the final ACC standings.  Under the new format with almost 100 teams in the ACC now the teams 7 through 10 must meet in a play in game as only six teams are guaranteed to be in the ACC tournament.  11am Tuesday Carolina and State will play each other with the winner playing in the tournament at least three times more while there is a good chance the season is over for the loser.

Just think at how important the last three meetings have been between the Pack and Heels.  They played each other twice last year in the College World Series with the second one Carolina eliminating the Pack from the World Series.  Even before that they played the marathon  18 innings  in last years ACC tournament which was seen by the largest crowd ever to see a college baseball game in the state of North Carolina.

Silver State Champion Twice

Nash Central hurdler Damian Siver won both of the indivual races in which he ran on Friday and Silver collected 20 points of his teams 25 points at the North Carolina State  3A Track and Field championship.

Silver first victory came in 110 hurdles and his time was 14:28.  His second win of the day came in the 300 meter hurdles when his time was 39:13.  The Nash Central boys track team scored 25 points and Silver was involved in team events that collect the other five points. D'Jahe Ruffin, Nick Manning and Chris Eley were the team mates with Silver. The 4x200 relay team finished seventh which was good for two points.  The 4x400 relay team finished sixth giving the Bulldogs  another three points.  Lance Williams, Nick Manning  and Brian Williams partnered with Silver on the run.

There were several others from the area who scored points during the championship. Rocky Mount's Takeyra Thomas half point in the girls high  jump tying for eighth.  Jaquell Bryant the defending high jump champion managed  fourth this year.

Rhema Hedgpeth  of Northern Nash took sixth in the 100 meter hurdles.  The Nash Central girls 4x400 relay team with Tkeyah Macklin, Kiera Ausby, Natalie Manning and Krystal Atkinson finished fourth.

The Big East suffered their first baseball lost when Topsoil top Fike 3-1.  Fike also lost in softball to Swansboro 4-0.  The only victory for Fike on this Friday came in soccer when Fike advanced to the third round beating White Oak 2-1.

N C State Swept a doubleheader  from Virginia Tech and by doing so qualified for next weeks ACC Tournament. Pitt lost for the second time this weekend to Notre Dame and thus can not catch the Pack.

Wake beat Virginia in the first game of their double header and by winning their game they will make the ACC tournament.  Just exactly what position each one has in the tournament  is still up in the air.

North Carolina scored a run in the top of the 16th but gave up two in the bottom of the inning and lost the first game of a double header.  The night cap Benton Moss got the most run support he has
received from his Carolina teammates in his Carolina career and Carolina is assured to be in next week's tournament. Moss went seven innings struck out nine and left ahead 11-1.  It was Moss' 19th career win  as a Tar Heel.  Carolina won the night cap 11-2.