Monday, June 23, 2025

Topsail baseball shocks top seed; Hoggard softball grabs key road win; updated playoff scoreboard, schedule

3A baseball

No. 17 Topsail 5    No. 1 Cleveland 3

Down by one and three outs away from elimination at top-seeded Cleveland High School, the Topsail baseball team tied the game with an unearned run and Garret Myrka delivered a clutch 2 RBI double to spark the Pirates in a 5-3 comeback victory on Friday night.

Cameron Kimrey. Photo courtesy- Harriet Rice.
Cameron Kimrey. Photo courtesy- Harriet Rice.

Topsail has now won back-to-back road games to start the 3A playoffs, improving to 17-9 overall. The Rams closed the spring with a 22-4 overall mark after earning the number one seed in the east region.

Cleveland struck early with two runs on two hits and one error in the bottom of the first, but Colby Emmertz and Cameron Kimrey recorded run-scoring singles in the fourth to level the contest at two-all.

The Rams scratched one across in the fifth to regain the advantage until Topsail came through in their final at-bat.

A lead-off single by Josh Madole and walk to Bryce Cota set the stage for the big inning.  Sam Hall followed with a sacrifice bunt, which turned into a throwing error and a 3-3 game as Madole scored on the play. Mykra followed two hitters later with the game-changing extra base hit.

Mykra, Emmertz and Madole paced the Pirates lineup with two hits apiece. Cleveland left 11 runners on base, while Topsail used four different pitchers through the seven inning contest. William St. Ledger and Payton Rice combined to throw 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

At No. 17 in the 3A tournament, the Pirates head into the third round against the winner of No. 8 Rocky Mount/No. 24 Triton.

Box score                     R   H  E

Topsail      000 200 3     5  7  2
Cleveland  200 010 0     3  7  1

 

4A softball

No. 14 Hoggard 3     No. 3 Garner-Magnet 1

Hoggard plated all three runs in the top of the second and Morgan Mathis fired a complete game to give the Vikings a 3-1 win on the road against No. 3 Garner-Magnet.

Morgan Mathis. Photo by Joe Catenacci
Morgan Mathis. Photo by Joe Catenacci

Mathis struck out the side in the seventh to put the finishing touches on the playoff victory. The junior right-handed hurler has allowed just one run over 14 innings pitched this postseason. She finished with eight strikeouts against Garner and weaved in and out of trouble all game. Garner left 13 runners on base in the contest.

Aleah Thompson picked up an RBI during the three-run second inning, while Melissa Marks delivered a 2 RBI single.

No. 14 Hoggard moved to 22-7 overall. The Vikings head back to the Raleigh area for a date with No. 11 Wake Forest in the third round of the 4A state playoffs.

3A softball

No. 26 Corinth Holders 8   No. 13 West Brunswick 2

 

NCISAA soccer playoffs

No. 7 Cape Fear Academy 2      No. 10 Calvary Baptist Day School 1

Libby Moore tallied in the first five minutes of the match and tallied the game-winner with five minutes left in regulation to life No. 7 Cape Fear Academy to a 2-1 result against No. 10 Calvary Baptist Day School.

The Hurricanes travel to No. 2 Asheville Christian Academy on Tuesday, May 17.

 

Lacrosse

No. 1 Cardinal Gibbons 17    No. 1 Hoggard 7

Madison Kosh and Kendall Goldblum combined for six goals to lead Hoggard, but the Vikings fell 17-7 at Cardinal Gibbons to close their run in the state playoffs.

NCISAA playoffs

No. 1 Cape Fear Academy 17   No. 7 Cary Christian School 3 (boys)

With storms rolling into the area on Friday afternoon, Cape Fear Academy advanced in the playoffs following a 17-3 victory over Cary Christian School. The Hurricanes improved to 14-7 and advanced to the semifinals

No. 3 Charlotte Latin School 15    Cape Fear Academy 5  (girls)

 

Updated second round playoff schedule based on rainouts

Baseball

4A playoffs: No. 3 Hoggard (19-4) vs. No. 14 Heritage (19-4) postponed until 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 14

3A playoffs: No. 2 West Brunswick (22-3) vs. No. 15 Chapel Hill (21-6) at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 14

2A playoffs: No. 11 North Brunswick (14-10) at No. 6 Croatan (16-6) postponed until 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

 

Softball

4A playoffs: No. 7 Laney (17-7) vs. No. 10 West Johnston (19-4) postponed until 4p.m. on Saturday, May 14

3A playoffs: No. 3 Topsail (22-3) vs. No. 14 Morehead (17-6) postponed until 11a.m. on Saturday, May 14.

 

Lacrosse: 4A playoffs: No 1 Hoggard (17-2) vs. No. 2 Middle Creek (18-3) (boys) postponed until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

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