Attaway, Christian lead Patton baseball to 2-0 start
Patton’s Cole Attaway (right) is congratulated by head coach Matt Baker after a home run in the season opener against Freedom on Feb. 27. Attaway homered in both games as the Panthers started the season with a 2-0 record.
Cole Attaway hit home runs in both games, and Cohen Christian helped lead the way both with his arm and with his bat as the Patton baseball team started the season at 2-0 after a pair of close wins.
The Panthers nabbed a 4-2 season-opening win at rival Freedom on Feb. 27 before returning home for a 4-3 victory over Mitchell on Tuesday evening.
Christian pitched all seven innings against Freedom, allowing just three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out nine and walking only one batter. He also finished 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI.
Attaway connected on a two-run homer to center field in a four-run top of the third when Patton did all of its scoring, erasing a 1-0 deficit, and he also made an acrobatic catch to help preserve the win.
Brady Davis, Trevor Throneburg (SB), and Gavin Johnson (SB, RBI) each added hits as Patton outhit Freedom, 6-3, with both teams committing two errors.
For Freedom, Kaden Michaels had two singles and scored a run while yielding just two earned runs with eight strikeouts in three innings of mound work. Alex Wall (4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 9 K) also shined from the mound, with Zaydrin Hausley (walk, SB, run) and Puckett Hudson (RBI double) helping lead the Patriot lineup.
“The defense and baserunners did an excellent job tonight,” Panthers coach Matt Baker said, “and it was a great team effort to get the win.”
Christian then lifted a flyball to the outfield with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, and that was enough for Patton to walk off with Tuesday’s triumph. He finished the contest with two hits including a double.
In addition to Christian and Attaway, Wyatt Hullette (two walks, two runs) and Laine Barrier (single, RBI) provided a spark for the Panthers at the plate, with Baker noting the “defense was great” behind Landry Duvall (5 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) and Brady Davis (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K).
“Landry threw well in the start, with Brady getting the win in relief,” Baker said.
Freedom’s Luke Miller fires to the plate against East Burke on Tuesday night in Morganton. Miller struck out seven and allowed just one earned run over five innings to claim the win while also going 2 for 3 at the plate and scoring a run as his Patriots were victorious, 4-1, to improve their record to 2-1.
Freedom (2-1) righted the ship with a 4-1 home win over East Burke on Tuesday as it was Luke Miller’s turn to provide a big day in both facets of the game.
Miller struck out seven over five innings, scattering four hits and two walks and he allowed just one earned run to pick up the win. At the plate, he finished 2 for 3, scoring a run.
The Patriots were also led offensively by Hausley (triple, RBI, run), Michaels (single, run), Hudson (walk, run), and William Russ (RBI), while Wall (2 IP, 2 BB, 6 K) was terrific in nailing down the save.
Both teams had four hits, with EB committing the game’s only error. The Cavaliers led 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth, when Freedom scored two in back-to-back frames to move back above .500. No EB individual statistics were available.
The Cavs (0-2) also fell on Wednesday at Hickory, 5-1. Junior left-hander Colt Butcher threw five innings in the loss; no more EB stats were available.
And Draughn also opened 0-2 after an 8-0 loss at South Caldwell on Tuesday and a 7-0 home loss to Burns on Wednesday.
The host Spartans scored five runs in the bottom of the first and added three runs in the third, no-hitting the Wildcats to open the week. Draughn’s Nolan Ballard, Liam Dalmas, and Kameron O’Dell each drew a walk, and Chase Yambor was the bright spot, pitching 2 1/3 innings of one-hit, shutout ball in which he also struck out five.
Yambor and Caden Barker then had the Wildcats’ only hits in the home opener, while Wyatt Bonorden walked twice and stole a base, and Bryson Seagle walked once. The hosts allowed three runs in the first and two apiece in the fifth and sixth, being outhit by a 6-2 margin. Neither team committed an error.
Barker (4 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 6 K) was strong from the mound, with Bonorden (1 2/3 IP 2 ER, 3 K), Tyler Lange, and Liam Dalmas (IP, 0 ER, 2 K) also pitching for Draughn.
Draughn softball pitcher Avie Helton delivers from the circle against Freedom on Wednesday in Valdese. Helton allowed just one hit as the Lady Wildcats won, 16-0, in three innings.
SOFTBALL
Each county team earns run-rule win
Host Draughn blasted Freedom, 16-0 in three innings, on Wednesday to cap an opening seven days of the season that featured each Burke County team winning by run-rule fashion while three have also already lost by run rule.
The Lady Wildcats (1-1) pounced for a 4-0 lead after an inning, then ended things early with a 12-run bottom of the third. Draughn outhit Freedom by a 12-1 margin, and the Lady Patriots didn’t help themselves with five errors in the loss.
“I thought the girls did a great job of forcing deep counts and then sitting on a pitch that they wanted,” Draughn coach Chris Powell said. “We weren’t trying to lift balls, we were just trying to hit balls hard, and I think it paid off for us tonight.”
Draughn was led at the plate by Ava Aldridge (3 for 3, grand slam, double, three runs, five RBIs, SB), Bailey Winkler (3 for 3, double, two runs, two RBIs, SB), Braylen Clontz (2 for 3, double, two runs, RBI), and Avie Helton (2 for 3, two runs, RBI, SB), while Maddie Grady (single, two RBIs), Maria Medrano (single, run, SB), Lindsey Hensley (walk, two runs, RBI, SB), and Cydnee Deal (two walks, two runs) also shined offensively in the blowout win, and Helton (3 IP, H, 4 K) collected the win from the circle.
“We all did really well tonight, made good contact,” Aldridge said. “We’ve been working a lot at practice on staying tight in our swings so that we can make more contact, and that’s what we did at the plate tonight. We really were able to take practice into the game.”
“If we’re struggling with batting and people are just not getting good hits, it makes it tough,” Helton added. “It makes it a whole lot easier just being able to sit down and get a drink of water, not being in and out, in and out, in and out of the dugout. And the girls did really well tonight.”
{p dir=”ltr”}Rhiley Buchanan had Freedom’s lone hit, and Madelyn LeMaster and Bella Creegan both pitched in defeat.
The outcome represented a stark turnaround for both teams, as Draughn had lost 10-0 in five innings at Foard on Feb. 27 and Freedom (1-2) had run-ruled host East Burke 12-0 on Monday.
The Lady Tigers scored in four of their five half-innings with the bats, culminating in a three-run third and four-run fifth as they walked off early to send Draughn to an opening-day loss. The Lady Wildcats committed seven errors in the setback, with Helton pitching the whole way and yielding five earned runs with three strikeouts. Helton and Emmalin Clark had DHS’ only two hits.
Meanwhile, the Lady Patriots scored in each inning in Icard, highlighted by four in the first and five in the third, while LeMaster shut out the hosts on two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in going all five innings.
Abigayle Gibson (4 for 4, three runs, two RBIs, SB) and Kaylee Skinner (2 for 3, triple, two runs, three RBIs) each homered in the FHS onslaught, with Rumi Campbell (two singles, two runs, SB), Buchanan (2 for 4, double, two RBIs), Creegan (double, run, two RBIs), Nhiya Caldwell (single, walk, run, RBI), Hallie Ollis (single, run), and LeMaster (two hits, walk, RBI) enjoying big days as well.
Amanda McLean had both EB hits, including a double.
The Lady Cavs (1-1) quickly erased that feeling with a 19-5, five-inning road win over Newton-Conover on Wednesday. EB’s McLean (two doubles, two runs, two RBIs, SB), Karlie Micol (double, three runs, RBI), and Ally Boyette (double, three RBIs) led the way with three hits apiece, and Boyette yielded four runs with six strikeouts in earning the shortened complete-game win.
EB’s hitting attack was also paced by Alyssa Shoemaker (2 for 3, two runs, three RBIs), Braleigh Carswell (three runs), Hermione Garro (double, two runs, two RBIs, two SB), and Ava Bivens (double, run, RBI).
And Patton started 1-0 after a 17-0, three-inning home win over Avery County on Feb. 27. The Lady Panthers’ Ady Moorefield tossed a no-hitter, striking out a pair of batters in earning all nine outs from the circle.
Patton was led on offense by Hayden Carlson (two hits, walk, three runs, three RBIs, two SB), Jolann Buff (hit, walk, run, two RBIs, two SB), Heaven Waycaster (hit, two runs, two RBIs, two SB), Moorefield (three walks, three runs, four SBs), Lydia Patton (walk, two runs, RBI, SB), Annaliese Cochran (two walks, RBI, two runs, two SB), and Callie Harris (three walks, two runs).
GIRLS SOCCER
Velasquez, Patton start season on tear
Sophomore Becca Velasquez is on pace to obliterate her school-record goal total set last year, with four goals in each game so far as the Patton girls soccer team has navigated a coaching change and carried over the momentum of last scoring’s third-round playoff run into a 3-0 start.
And somehow, Velasquez — who scored 29 goals last season — doesn’t even have the Lady Panthers’ highest goal total in a game to date.
That honor belongs to teammate Jaxyn Nolen, who had five goals and one assist in the team’s latest blowout win, a 10-1 home triumph over Freedom on Wednesday.
Velasquez supplied two assists versus the Patriots, with Brenda Lopez-Ortiz adding a goal and goalkeeper Jincy Gibby posting five saves after back-to-back shutouts to open the season.
No Freedom individual statistics were available.
Patton had blasted McDowell twice to kick off the year, 6-0 in Marion on Feb. 26 and 9-0 at home Monday.
Velasquez had one assist in the opener for first-year coach Will Singley, and Nolen scored two goals. Lopez-Ortiz and Nora Conley had one assist each, and Nancy Raymundo Lopez split time with Gibby at keeper as they earned the clean sheet.
Ana Sic then tallied two goals, Nolen added a goal and an assist, Lopez-Ortiz had one goal, and Jocelyne Castro-Say had one goal in the second match versus McDowell.
Freedom (0-2-1) also fell by a 5-0 count at home against Burns on Monday. No Patriots statistics were available.
And Draughn (1-0-1) earned its first win in 6-0 fashion over North Gaston at home Tuesday. Eliana Cline scored a whopping five goals, Genesis Becerra added a goal, Taylor Holder had two assists, and Lady Wildcats freshman Ansley Compton had 10 saves in the shutout.
BOYS TENNIS
East Burke opens 3-0 in conference
The Cavaliers are making quick work of Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference foes so far, earning two more lopsided wins at home on Monday and Wednesday to move to 26 individual matches won and just one dropped through three contests.
East Burke (3-0 WPC) rolled through Hibriten to open the week, 9-0, before claiming an 8-1 win over West Caldwell. Against the Panthers, EB singles winners were No. 1 Luke Borders (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Braxton Kirkland (6-3, 7-6, 7-1), No. 3 Haiden Dale (6-2, 6-4), No. 4 Noah Ramsey (6-0, 6-0), No. 5 Yingchi Yang (6-1, 6-0), and No. 6 Daniel Capps (6-0, 6-0).
No. 1 Borders/Yang (8-2), No. 2 Dale/Ramsey (8-0), and No. 3 Kirkland/Capps (8-1) then completed the day’s sweep with doubles wins.
Two days later against the Warriors, EB’s No. 1 Borders (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Kirkland (6-1, 6-0), and No. 3 Dale (6-0, 6-0) were easy singles winners before No. 4 Yang, No. 5 Capps, No. 6 Michael Rodriguez, and the No. 2 doubles team of Capps/Jackson Wall and No. 3 team of John Snow/Landon Yang each won via forfeit.
Patton (1-1 WPC) nabbed its first league win, 6-3, at home over R-S Central on Wednesday. The Panthers dominated singles, with No. 1 Bryant Arrowood (6-2, 6-0), No. 2 Ethan Beall (7-6, 7-5), No. 3 Carter Johnson (6-2, 6-3), No. 5 Landyn Marks (7-5, 7-6), and No. 6 Dev Patel (6-4, 6-3) all winning before Arrowood/Johnson (8-3) earned the hosts’ final point on the No. 1 doubles line.
And playing minus three ladder players, NCSSM-Morganton hung tough in singles but was swept in doubles in a 6-3 nonconference loss to North Buncombe at Freedom Park on Wednesday.
The Dragons (0-1) got their singles wins via No. 3 Nash Taylor (6-2, 6-3), No. 4 Aneel Gupta (7-6, 6-3), and No. 5 Akarsh Kadapi (6-2, 0-6, 10-3). NCSSM-M then lost just 8-6 at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles.
TRACK & FIELD
Two Freedom runners win at opener
Freedom opened the season in a Northwestern 6A/7A Conference meet hosted by Alexander Central on Wednesday, coming away with a pair of event wins.
Trent Davis won the boys 100 meters (11.28), with teammate Justice Dominguez (11.43) third in the same event, and the Patriots’ Frank Harrelson (4:52.96) and Nick Chiota (5:15.44) placed first and second, respectively, in the boys 1600 meters.
Davis was second (23.55), Brooks Snipes third, and Dominguez fifth in the 200 meters, and Harrelson second in the 800 (2:11.74). Brody Powell placed second in the boys high jump (5’10”), Davis was fourth in the long jump (18’9”), and Mlonlue Yang was fourth in the boys triple jump (33’8”).
Freedom’s Aniah Queen (13.46) and Cynica Caldwell ran second and third in the girls 100 meters, and Aida Ruechel (17:07) placed second in the girls 3200 meters.
The FHS girls 4x100 relay took third place, Kaylin Norman and Nevaeh Hawkins were third and fourth, respectively, in the girls long jump, Ava Cooke was fourth in the girls 400 meters, and ExZandria Horton was fourth in the girls triple jump.
BOYS GOLF
Brown, Patton take 2nd in WPC match
Sophomore Mason Brown shot an 18-hole score of 84 in tough conditions at Cleghorn Golf and Sports Club on Wednesday, earning second place individually and leading his Patton golf team to a second-place team total of 359 in the WPC 3A/4A season opener hosted by R-S Central.
Also for Patton, Noah Krogel shot 90 and Jackson Zook added a 92 as both finished in the top 10 individually, while Reid Buchanan rounded out the team total with a 93 and Matthew Piercy carded a 95.
East Burke (399) placed sixth as a team, led by Connor Kerley’s round of 92 as he tied for ninth place. The Cavaliers’ Blake Turner shot 96, Brody Simpson shot 103, and Trevor Fraley posted a 108.
Members of the Patton girls lacrosse team celebrate their 12-9 league-opening road victory over Watauga on Feb. 26 in Boone.
LACROSSE
Lady Panthers win season opener on road
Both Patton teams have played two matches to date, traveling to Watauga on Feb. 26 before remaining in conference play by hosting St. Stephens on Tuesday.
The Patton girls (1-1) opened with a 12-9 win in Boone before falling 21-3 against the Indians, while the Panther boys (0-2) have lost by scores of 14-6 and 21-5, respectively. No individual statistics were available from either PHS team from either game.
