NW4A

Just over a week to go, and I have a few things to say about the NW4A.

First of all, great baseball is being played by the upper tier teams right now. In another thread, the number of births for the NC 4A Playoffs were discussed. I think it is a travisty that out of South Caldwell, Alexander Central, and McDowell only two of those great teams get play for the big prize.

Also, exhale now guys cause this last week is going to be a dogfight to the finish.

Heres the way I have the final week of regular season play.

South Caldwell is one game up on AlexCentral in first at 8-1.
Alexander Central is one game up on McDowell in second at 6-2.
McDowell is perched in third at 6-3. But has the tiebreaker on Alexander Central with thier two victories over them.

No one is safe. Cause SC plays McD friday at Marion. AC plays SC next Thursday at Hudson.

Alexander plays 4 games in 7 days. Friday vs Freedom, Monday vs East Burke, Tuesday vs Watauga, and Thursday vs South Caldwell.

Oh by the way, spoilers are out there in abundance. East Burke is playing good right now. Watauga surely wants some revenge after being no-hit by AC. AC Reynolds has beaten some good teams. All three play the upper 3 teams down the stretch...

This is why amature sports is so awesome. May the best team win.

 

The South Caldwell v. McDowell game Friday evening should be a great high school baseball game. It will be Reid for SC v. Taylor for McDowell. Both teams aces. The team that hits the other teams ace and makes the least errors will win.

 

After a 2 1/2 hour rain delay SC and McDowell played their game. SC won 2-1. A great high school game filled with tension, good plays and a few timely errors. Both SC runs scored on a throwing error by Taylor with 2 outs and bases loaded. McDowell's run was also unearned. Still, considering the delay and the sloppy conditions it was a fun game to see.

 

I tried to listen to the game in Charlotte from a radio station in Lenoir, but the wind and rain kept knocking my son off the roof, so I couldn't get the reception....kids nowadays just don't have the gumption of the kids yesterday.

It sounded like a great game...congratulations to South Caldwell

 

with the NW4A only getting 2 bids only the conference champion is safe...the NW4A tourney champion would get the other bid, right? unless the conference champion wins the tourney..S. Caldwell and ACHS got a little breathing room when S.Caldwell defeated McDowell and ACHS defeated Freedom..ACHS remains 1 game behind S.C. but 2 games in front of McDowell.. S.C.s only loss was a 3 hit shut out by ACHS.

ACHS still has a rough road if it is going to win the conference; E. Burke on Monday, Watauga on Tue. @ Watauga, and S.C. on thur. @ Hudson...ACHS must win out....

Could Payne possibly no hit Watauga again? Could Hollifield shut out S.C. again?

 

Hollifield can repeat his performance against South this week, and Payne can once again shutdown Watauga..What about East Burke?

 

i think this week will test the pitching staff at ACHS...

Mon. possible starters...Hefner or Kinnaird..Hefner got beat by N. Forsyth by 1 run..North threw two D1 pitchers against ACHS..

Tue. Payne or Hollifield..Watauga only has 1 hit against Payne in 14 innings

Thurs..Hollifield or Payne...S.C. only got 4 balls out of the infield off Hollifield plus S.C. is 0-3 against ACHS since goining the NW4A.

ACHS should prove they have the deepest pitching staff in the conference..

This is going to be a wet week...great weather for ducks...

 

Does Alexander Central ever use their lefty, Scott Hall on the mound? I have been to a couple of games and have never seen him pitch at the school games. I have, however, seen him pitch during summer games. He has a lot of talent and I think he could add alot to the pitching staff at AC, especially to the teams that seem to have trouble hitting lefties!

 

Talking to Ajax, who is our ACHS expert, Scott does pitch occasionally. His speed and bat are such a weapon this season. Keep an eye on this kid, he's a player but he isn't logging much mound time this season.

 

This season ACHS has 5 quality pitchers; Hollifield (senior), Payne(junior), Kinnaird (junior), Hefner (junior), and Hall (junior). any one of these kids could start on most hs pitching staffs...most NW4A teams only uses two starters and a third only when necessary...E. Burke used Yoder and Stewart, occasionally Putnam; watauga uses Nigro and Leyshon, once in a while someone else; McDowell uses Taylor and Williams; S.Caldwell uses Reid and Coffey, occasionally Gurerra...Freedom uses Dergins and Chapman..i'm sure there are others..

5 quality pitchers at once is a rarety in hs baseball and it is hard to find mound time each week for all of them...it is hard to keep each one sharp...

Hall will come into his own in Legion ball and next season..

i hope i haven't ruffeled any feathers...