State 4A Playoffs

Impressive performance by Alexander Central's Matt Payne. He went the distance, struck out 12, walked 2 and hit 1 in the 3-1 victory. His fastball was very good -- around 90 from the third inning on I'd guess, but his curve ball was particularly impressive tonight. It was the 12 to 6 off speed type and it broke a good foot down all night long. He threw it with any count, including 1-0, 3-1 and 3-2, and he also mixed in an occasional nasty slider. The guy is the real deal, but most of you already knew that. It was my first chance to see him, and it was a real treat.

Myers Park will be kicking themselves for a couple missed opportunities and defensive miscues. This one could have gone the other way. In the top of the third Logan Smith hit the first pitch of the inning for a double, then Cody Drake singled. Payne fielded Jack Myers slow roller and threw it into right field. Suddenly it was 1-0 Myers Park, runners at second and third, and nobody out. But that is when Payne really buckled down, striking out Tim Cramer, hitting JJ Rollins to load the bases, and then striking out Jim Berger and Wes Flowers. Again, he was just too good tonight.

Jason Kennell was almost as good for the Mustangs, going 4 1/3, striking out 4 and giving up 2 earned runs on only 5 hits, one of them a double that was misplayed in left field. AC's frst run came in the bottom of the fourth on a lead off single by Kinnard and a two-out long fly ball to center that was originally ruled a triple but changed to an error. Myers Park center fielder Jack Myers had a long run back and did get his glove on it, but it was a tough play.

Then in the bottom of the fifth, with the score still 1-1, after Kennell struck out the first hitter, lead-off man Scott Hall walked. Then Zach Orren launched an opposite filed curving line drive that Myers Park left fielder Jack Magee appeared to have tracked, only to watch it sail over his head for a double, scoring Hall with the go ahead run. A single by Payne up the middle scored Orren, and AC had a 3-1 lead. Another single by Kinnard chased Kennell. Scott Brewer came on for the Mustangs and, after a walk to load the bases, got a double play ball to end the inning.

Payne set the Mustangs down in order in the sixth and seventh. He just got better and better as the game went along.

Kinnard had two hits for AC; Orren, Payne and Teague had one each. Smith and Drake had the only MP hits.

Congratulations to AC and good luck. For Myers Park it was a down and up and back down season filled with one good winning streak but too many close losses. They close with four straight losses and a 10-12 record that doesn't really tell the true story, but congrats to them on making the state tournament.

 

West Forsyth 5
Central Cabarrus 2

 

NORTH FORSYTH 8
PERSON 3

WP ADDISON JOHNSON
LP BLAKE BOWES

NF - 8 RUNS, 10 HITS, 1 ERROR
P - 3 RUNS, 3 HITS, 3 ERRORS

HR'S FOR NF - STEFAN MORRIS, ADAM SPEAS

NORTH WILL PLAY WEST FORSYTH FRIDAY @ NORTH, 7:30 START

 

Pine Crest 6 Pine Forrest 3
Scotland 8 Lumberton 7 lead off HR in the 9th
Rose 4 Lee County 2
Milbrook 12 Garner 2

Wakefield beat Fuquay but i don't have a score
Havn't heard anything on....
Chapel Hill- East forsyth
Hoggard- Richmond County
Greenhope- Athens Drive
Page- RJ Reynolds

 

DodgerBlues

Great writeup on AC and Myers Park
we need more who will give a good solid report regardless of the winner.
Come on back Friday

 

Hoggard richmond

Hoggard 5 Richmond County 1

 

pinecrest 6 pineforest 3 PATRIOTS ADVANCE TO PLAY HOGGORD FRIDAY NIGHT!!! GO PATRIOTS!!!! :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

East Forsyth 6
Chapel HIll 5

WP: Ben Nunn
LP: Martin
SV: Jody Calloway

East plays the winner of Page/Reynolds on Fri.

 

Scores

Please post scores to....

Page vs R.J. Reynolds

East forsyth vs. Chapel Hill

Fuquay Vs. Wakefield

Green Hope vs. Athens Drive