Ardrey Kell VS South Caldwell

Please don't take everything you hear or read too seriously!

 

Oh, so you're saying this is not true? Dang, I thought this could have been a great conspiracy

By the way, we need a Mincimi breakdown of starters

 

SC will win this one. Hey so I'm a little partial. LOL Just hope the weather clears so it won't hurt the crowds. A good pretty evening and AK will play in front of the biggest crowd they have ever seen. Loud and rowdy!! But all in good fun

 

I agree

 

A River Runs Through

The currents of the western 4A playoffs continue to flow through coaches’ Jeff Parham and Hal Bagwell programs. For the fifth consecutive year, one of them will have their ball club in the 4A western Regionals, and when they get there, they don’t stop.

This will be the second time that the two coaches have faced each other in that five year span (they actually faced off against each other in the opening round of the 2004 playoffs as well with South Meck holding on to win 8-7). The first came in 2005 at M.S. Deal where Bagwell’s club, then the South Mecklenburg Sabres, bested the Spartans and Madison Bumgarner 3-1 in the opening round of the playoffs in route to the state championship series at North Carolina State University against Greenville Conley.

In 2006, South Caldwell was the western representative in the 4A state championships at NC State’s Doak Field after coming from behind to best North Forsyth in the Regionals. The Spartans blasted Scotland in the first game of the series only to see the Scots roar back to win the state title.

The Spartans did not disappoint in 2007. After winning a tight battle with North Davidson in the Western Regionals, South Caldwell stole one from Wilmington Ashley in the opening game of the championship series at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, scoring four times after two were out in the seventh to win 4-1. Bumgarner then delivered South Caldwell’s second state championship in his final high school at bat with an inside the park home run that end game two early, 10-0.

It was Bagwell’s turn again last year, this time with his new team the Ardrey Kell Knights. AK also had to slip past North Davidson, this time in the sectionals 4-3 before sweeping SW4A rival Providence in the Regionals to reach the finals series at Mudcats’ Stadium in Zebulon against Greenville Rose where the Rampants won their sixth state championship after two last inning rallies.

Both squads finished as runner up in their respective leagues this season before advancing to the sectional round. South Caldwell (22-4 from the NW4A) breezed past Berry in the opening round before tangling with their old nemesis the South Meck Sabres in round two. This time, the Spartans were able to advance after winning 5-4 in walk off fashion. The District round provided another NW4A/SW4A match-up for the Spartans as they scored a run in the first and then held Butler off the scoreboard to win 1-0.

Ardrey Kell, 22-7 had a similar path to the Sectionals as they likewise opened with an easy win over a team from the Queen City league besting Garinger 13-2 before defeating two SW4A clubs, Weddington in an 8-0 shutout, and Providence 6-5 after trailing 5-0.

Sawsmill will play host to today’s Sectional match-up as a third consecutive SW4A team attempts to come into Spartanland and knock off SC in the friendly confines where a large Spartan partisan crowd will await the Knights. The winner advances to the Regionals, and if recent history means anything, a state championship series appearance will be attached.

Match-up
Infield
1B – AK: Josh Case - SR; South Caldwell: David Evans - SO
Evans has a lot of pop in his bat, Case has played in a lot of big games for the Knights including 12 playoffs games.
2B – AK: Jack Reinheimer - JR; South Caldwell: Zack Greer– SR
Greer had been swinging a hot stick for the Spartans and is a solid glove man. Reinheimer picks it with the best of them.

SS – AK: Logan Ratledge – SO; South Caldwell: Dalton Hall – SR
Hall is a vacuum at short and starts the SC offense. Ratledge is a .400 hitter for the season.

3B – AK: Cody Shelton – JR; South Caldwell: Jon Grey - SR
Grey anchors the Spartan offense and is capable of breaking a close game open with a timely extra base hit. Shelton has adjusted to playing at a higher level and has become a key to the Knights offense late in the season.

Outfield
LF – AK: Alex Bartolomeo – JR; South Caldwell: Blake Johnson – SO
Could be one of the key match-ups of the contest. Both Johnson and Bartolomeo have played critical roles in their teams getting this far. A big night from either one may be enough to tip the scales in their team’s favor.

CF – AK: Ryan Stetson – SR; South Caldwell: Cody Reid – JR
Both are excellent fielders, but Stetson carries a bigger bat.

RF – AK: Zico Pasut – SR; South Caldwell: Tyler Bumgarner – JR
Similar story here. Both produce in the field. Pasut has carried the Knights at times this season.

DH – AK: Brett Lang– SO: South Caldwell: Travis Cook – SO
Both youngsters and swing it and make getting through the line-up no easy task for opposing pitchers.

Battery
C – AK: Taylor Patterson - SR; South Caldwell: Brock Woddie – SR
Both teams have excellent pitching staffs and part of their success is because of the skills of the catchers that handle them.

SP – AK: Alex Wood– SR; South Caldwell: Cody Penny - SR
The headliners of the contest. Penny a UNC signee, Wood inked with Georgia. Should be a fantastic battle.

Relief Pitching: AK: Ashton Lover, Alex Baker, Ryan Butler; South Caldwell: Cody Poarch, Aaron Bentley, Thomas Ray.
Extra innings a definite possibility here.

 

is the game still on or no?

 

No word yet....we are waiting on some phone calls

 

Web Cast Tonight

at http://Southwestern4abaseball.com/Live.html

 

Should be packed to the brime tonight. Hopefully the Spartans can pull an upset.

Prediction SCHS 1 AKHS 3 as much as it pains me to say

 

Skies are clearing in Sawmills

I live 2 miles from SCHS and the sun is out bright and sky is clearing. Looks like game will be on unless we get a big down pour later. All this rain makes you appreciate seeing the sun again.