Eastern Randolph, softball – Pugh was a force in the pitching circle and at the plate for the Wildcats during her senior season.
She posted eight wins to go with two saves as a pitcher. She was credited with 131 strikeouts in 69 innings.
Pugh’s four home runs were second on the team.
Eastern Randolph finished with an 18-6 record. That’s the most wins for the Wildcats since 2019.
Uwharrie Charter Academy, softball
Brewer drove in runs last week in a pair of victories for the Eagles.
Brewer, a senior, scored two runs and knocked in a row against Trinity. She had two hits, two runs batted in, and scored in a run in a game at Asheboro. She was credited with two stolen bases in each game.
UCA won 17-0 at Trinity in its Piedmont Athletic Conference opener in a game that lasted three innings as the Eagles posted an eight-run second inning and nine-run third inning. Then there was a 10-0 result in a non-conference game at Asheboro, with that game ending by the mercy rule after UCA put together a six-run sixth inning.
Those outcomes gave the Eagles a 3-1 record through two weeks of the season.
Providence Grove | softball
McClain completed the season with a team-leading .597 batting average for the Patriots, who were undefeated into the fourth round of the Class 2-A state playoffs.
She also was tops on the team with 11 home runs, 41 runs batted in and 34 runs scored for the team that ended up with a 24-1 record for the Piedmont Athletic Conference champions. She also had eight doubles and three triples to go with 14 stolen bases.
McClain, a senior infielder, was a four-year member of the Providence Grove team. She’s regarded as one of the program’s top players of all-time.
McClain is a Campbell signee. Campbell posted a 37-19 record in 2022 and played in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
She also spent some time during high school on the basketball team.
Former Providence Grove athlete Anna Thomas was named the top female senior athlete at Emory & Henry College.
Thomas, a softball player, is the 2021-22 recipient of the Hall Memorial Award, which honors an athlete based on skill, leadership and character.
Thomas is considered one of the top outfielders in the Emory & Henry program history. She was part of 87 victories, two NCAA Tournaments on the Division III level and a No. 9 national ranking. During this past spring, she filled in as a pitcher as well.
Thomas was the 2019 Rookie of the Year in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. In 2021, she was picked for the ODAC all-tournament team and NCAA regional all-tournament team.
Thomas batted .299 as a senior when the team was in transition from NCAA Division III to Division II and posted a 26-17 record.
The Hall Award is named in memory of George A. Hall, the father of retired coach Eleanor Hall Hutton, who started some of the first women’s sports on campus.
Wheatmore’s Ellie Garrison takes a shot and scores a goal against East Davidson during a second-round victory in the Class 2-A state playoffs last Thursday. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CLIMAX — Providence Grove’s magical softball season came to a close with Friday night’s 1-0 home loss to West Stokes in the fourth round of the Class 2-A state playoffs.
The Patriots, who were the top seed in the West Region, were doomed by a lead-off home run in the fourth inning. Fifth-seeded West Stokes advanced to the regional finals.
Providence Grove finished with a 24-1 record.
Emma Mazzarone struck out 11 batters and walked three in the two-hitter. Providence Groves hits came from Edi Austin, Maddie Flinchum and Makayla McClain.
Earlier last week, Providence Grove upended eighth-seeded Mount Pleasant 8-0 with Mazzarone striking out 15 and issuing two walks during a one-hitter. Mailey Way had three hits, while Mazzone slugged a two-run homer, Makalyla McCalin tripled and scored twice and Reann Saunders had two hits.
Girls’ soccer
Three Randolph County teams entered the week still alive in the state playoffs. All three had third-round games postponed Monday night, meaning they were then slated to try again Tuesday night.
In Class 2-A, unbeaten Wheatmore, the second-seeded team in the West Region, was matched up against seventh-seeded Hendersonville.
Wheatmore won in the second round with a 5-1 victory against No. 18 seed East Davidson.
In Class 3-A, No. 12 seed Asheboro had a road encounter with No. 4 seed East Lincoln.
Asheboro won a second-round game with a 1-0 outcome at fifth-seeded Hibriten, with Tess Moody scoring with two minutes left off an assist from Natalie Flores. Goalkeeper Sarah Allred made eight saves.
In Class 1-A, seventh-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy was slated for third-round game at second-seeded Bishop McGuinness in Kernersville. UCA won in last week’s second round with a 3-1 home decision against 10th-seeded Mount Airy.
Baseball
Trinity’s strong showing in the state playoffs ended with a dramatic defeat in the Class 2-A fourth round Friday. Still, the Bulldogs finished the season with a 20-10 record.
No. 19 seed Trinity won three road games in the state playoffs, knocking off the Nos. 14, 3 and 6 seeds. Last Tuesday’s 7-6 victory against sixth-seeded West Stokes put them a victory away from the regional final.
That was shaping up well for the Bulldogs, who led 5-2 before Community School of Davidson rallied in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 decision at Hough High School in Cornelius.
Trinity won eight of its last 10 games.
In Class 1-A, Uwharrie Charter Academy made it to the fourth round before losing 7-5 at third-seeded Cherryville.
No. 18 seed UCA (10-15) advanced last week with a third-round 4-2 home victory against No. 23 seed Eastern Randolph.
Grant Little’s complete-game pitching lifted UCA past the Wildcats (9-17). The teams had split regular-season meetings in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
Asheboro and Uwharrie Charter Academy won opening-round games in the state playoffs for girls’ soccer Monday night.
Asheboro defeated visiting Foard 2-1 behind two goals from Tess Moody in Class 3-A. Natalie Flores had an assist and goalkeeper Sarah Allred made nine saves.
UCA topped Piedmont Community 7-0 in Class 1-A, with Ava Cugino posting two goals and one assist, Kendall Jarrell scoring twice and Chloe Douglas, Kaylen Trucks and Ivy Redding all providing one goal.
Second-round games are set for Thursday.
A pair of Class 2-A teams from Randolph County failed to advance, while undefeated Wheatmore was slated to begin the playoffs Tuesday night.
No. 15 seed Southwestern Randolph absorbed a 2-1 home loss to No. 18 seed East Davidson.
Providence Grove, the No. 27 seed, tied with sixth-seeded West Stokes. That 2-2 draw came before West Stokes moved on in the bracket via penalty kicks.
Softball
Providence Grove was the only team from Randolph County to make it through the first week of the state playoffs.
The unbeaten Patriots won twice at home in Class 2-A, beating Patton 9-2 and West Wilkes 4-1.
Emma Mazzarone struck out 10 in the first round and fanned 17 batters in the West Wilkes game.
Providence Grove, the top seed in the West Region, was slated for a home game against No. 8 seed Mount Pleasant on Tuesday night. The regional semifinals are slated for Friday night – and the Patriots would be home again if they’ve reached that round.
Southwestern Randolph began with a 7-4 home victory against No. 21 seed Maiden. The 12th-seeded Cougars then fell 2-1 at No. 5 seed West Stokes.
Also in Class 2-1, fourth-seeded Forbush ousted No. 29 seed Randleman 8-0 and second-seeded West Stanley topped No. 31 seed Wheatmore 13-0.
In Class 1-A, fifth-seeded Eastern Randolph belted No. 28 seed Hayesville 12-1 before losing 9-7 at home to No. 12 seed Union County.
No. 16 seed Uwharrie Charter Academy bowed out with a 10-5 home loss to No. 17 seed Draughn.
Baseball
Aside from two shutout victories for reigning Class 2-A state champion Randleman, other area teams had success in the first week of the state playoffs.
No. 19 seed Trinity recorded a 10-1 victory at No. 14 seed McMichael on Cade Hill’s complete-game pitching in Class 2-A. The Bulldogs pulled off another road win by upending No. 3 seed Shelby Burns by 11-7.
The Class 1-A bracket was set to bring together No. 23 seed Eastern Randolph and No. 18 seed Uwharrie Charter Academy for Tuesday night’s third round. The winner will be tagged for Friday night’s regional semifinals.
Both teams won two road outings. Eastern Randolph began by winning 12-1 at Murphy before posting a 10-0 rout of Bradford Prep. UCA smacked North Stokes 13-3 and Draughn 7-3.
In Class 3-A, Asheboro bowed out with a 4-1 first-round loss at North Henderson.
Boys’ golf
Eastern Randolph junior Connor Carter finished as the Class 1-A runner-up in the state tournament last week in Southern Pines.
Carter’s two-day total of 156 put him as the runner-up. He had two rounds of 78 at Longleaf Golf & Family Club.
Mitchell sophomore Connor Warren was the winner with a 2-under-par 70 in the final round. That was good for an eight-stroke edge on Carter.
Carter played the front nine in the second round at 1-under 34 before five bogeys, a double bogey and one birdie on the backside.
South Stanly was the team champion, winning the program’s first title.
In Class 2-A at Foxfire Resort & Golf Club’s Red Course in Jackson Springs, Wheatmore junior Ryan Baynard tied for 66th at 187 with rounds of 92 and 94.
The Uwharrie Charter Academy doubles team of Joseph Phetmixay and Drew Auman ended up as state runner-up in Class 1-A boys’ tennis at Cary Tennis Park.
Phetmixay and Auman won two matches before they were denied in the final.
The Bishop McGuinness pairing of Luca Pestana and Timothy Hackman captured the title by winning 6-1, 6-4. For the Villains, it was the fourth time the school has produced a doubles state champion pair, though the first since 2014.
A day earlier, the Phetmixay-Auman tandem defeated Voyager Academy’s Jacob McKenna and Simon Osceanas by 6-0, 6-0 and then claimed the semifinal with a 6-2, 6-4 decision against Elkin’s Luke McComb and Clay Sebastian.
In Class 2-A, Wheatmore singles entry Jagur Williams lost in the first round by 6-4, 6-1 to Brevard’s Porter Schrader.
Softball
Providence Grove holds the top seed in the West Region for the Class 2-A state playoffs.
The Patriots had an undefeated regular season and then won two games to capture the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament last week.
As the No. 1 regional seed, there’s the possibility of home games Friday, next Tuesday, May 20 and for some of the best-of-3 regional final should the Patriots advance. The first-round game was set for Tuesday against Patton.
Southwestern Randolph, Randleman and Wheatmore were also in the Class 2-A bracket, while Eastern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy were entered in Class 1-A. Eastern Randolph held the No. 5 seed, so multiple home games could be in order for the Wildcats.
Providence Grove won last week’s PAC Tournament behind strong pitching from Emma Mazzarone.
She had 12 strikeouts in an 11-1 semifinal victory against UCA. She also homered and drove in four runs.
In the final, Mazzarone struck out 18 batters in a 1-0 triumph against visiting Southwestern Randolph. That was part of a two hitter and she hit one batter with a pitch.
Edi Austin provided the offense with a home run to begin the bottom of the first inning. She had two of the Patriots’ four hits.
That outcome pushed Providence Grove’s record to 21-0.
Macie Crutchfield took the loss despite striking out eight. Caressa King had both Southwestern Randolph hits.
The Cougars reached the tournament final by upending third-seeded Eastern Randolph 10-0 behind Crutchfield’s three-hitter that included nine strikeouts. Carleigh Whitson drove in three runs and Maddie Varner and King both knocked in two runs.
Asheboro’s David Elliott putts on the fourth green during a match at Asheboro Municipal Golf Course in March. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
Wheatmore was the overwhelming winner in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament for boys’ golf last week at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville.
The Warriors posted a score of 324 for a 43-shot advantage on runner-up Providence Grove. Randleman (375) was third, followed by Trinity (376), Uwharrie Charter Academy (417) and Southwestern Randolph (453).
Eastern Randolph didn’t have enough entrants for a team score, but that didn’t stop the school from making an impact.
The individual champion was Connor Carter of Eastern Randolph with a 3-under-par 68. Wheatmore teammates Ryan Marshall (73) and Ryan Baynard (76) held the next two spots before fourth-place Jayden Moffitt (80) of Eastern Randolph.
Asheboro takes fourth
In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro shot 362 in the championship tournament for fourth place at Winding Creek Golf Course in Thomasville.
The Blue Comets were led by David Elliott’s 79 for fifth place and Luke Payne’s 80 for a share of sixth place.
Track and field
Providence Grove’s girls and Trinity’s boys were PAC titlists in the championship meet last week at Wheatmore.
On the girls’ side, Providence Grove had 175 points for a comfortable margin on second-place Randleman, which had 120.
Among multiple champions in the girls’ meet was Eastern Randolph’s Brecken Snotherly, who captured the 400-, 1,500- and 3,200-meter runs.
For the boys, Trinity compiled 147 points to easily win ahead of runner-up Providence Grove, which had 116. Randleman was third with 113.
For the boys, the highlights included Trinity’s Dylan Hodges as the winner of the 200, 400 and high jump and Wheatmore’s Zach Hazelwood as the first-place runner in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Baseball, softball
PAC Tournaments in both sports are taking place this week. Finals are slated for 7 p.m. Thursday at the home fields of the regular-season champions.
That means the baseball title game will be played at Randleman. The softball final will be contested at Providence Grove.
Providence Grove’s undefeated softball team sealed at least a share of the regular-season title in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
The Patriots began this week with a 17-0 overall record and, with two conference games left, a 10-0 record in the PAC.
Randleman’s baseball team finished its regular season league schedule with a 12-0 record against PAC opponents. The Tigers will end up with at least a four-game edge in the standings.
Randleman outscored PAC opponents by a combined 146-11 in those 12 games. Among the other teams, only Trinity has a chance to finish with a positive run differential in conference competition.
The Uwharrie Charter Academy boys’ tennis team had an undefeated regular season to win the PAC title.
Wheatmore’s girls’ soccer team made it through the first half of the PAC schedule unscathed and also won all six non-conference games through last week as well.
Perfect pitching
Southwestern Randolph pitcher Macie Crutchfield notched a perfect game in softball by retiring all 15 Wheatmore batters in a 10-0 five-inning win.
Crutchfield, a freshman, set down 13 batters with strikeouts.
Asheboro’s Marsh
throws gem
Marsh threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory against Ragsdale in a game that was part of the Chatham Central Tournament.
Marsh, a junior, used 74 pitches for the gem. He struck out six batters and issued two walks. It was a much-needed performance for the Blue Comets, who snapped a four-game losing streak with the outcome.
Marsh also drove in a run in the victory.
Providence Grove | softball
Austin had some big outings at the plate as the Patriots maintained their undefeated record entering the last week of the regular season.
Providence Grove beat Trinity 15-0, Uwharrie Charter Academy 7-5 and Randleman 4-0. Austin had a total of seven hits in those games.
Austin was a big part of an offense in support of pitching standout Emma Mazzarone.
Austin, a senior infielder, drove in three runs in the Trinity game. Against UCA, Austin roped two triples and scored two runs. She followed that by going 3-for-4 with a home run and triple and knocking in half of the team’s runs against Randleman.
Mazzarone had another notable stretch, striking out seven in a three-hitting no-hitter against Trinity, fanning 16 against UCA and responding with a 17-strikeout, no-hitter vs. Randleman.