East Gaston players congratulate Blair Collier after she scored in an 11-3 win over Ashbrook on Wednesday.
By Benjamin Patton/The Gazette
Last year's finalists meet again
MOUNT HOLLY - The Crest and East Gaston girls wouldn't have it any other way.
As last year's finalists square off for the Big South 3A/4A Conference softball tournament title again today, there's no other team they'd rather be facing.
"We always love playing Crest because it's just a good game, good competition," East Gaston third baseman Cameron Sealey said. "It's going to be another exciting one. Last year was exciting and we'll see what happens this year."
The Chargers and Warriors easily won their semifinals Wednesday to set up a rematch of last year's championship, won by East Gaston.
Second-seeded Crest beat third-seeded North Gaston 9-3 in the first semifinal before top-seeded and regular-season champion East Gaston dispatched fourth-seeded Ashbrook 11-3.
First pitch today is scheduled for 6 p.m. at East Gaston.
Crest (17-7) will be looking for its first win this season against East Gaston (19-3), which won the regular-season meetings 2-0 and 6-3. Last year, it was East Gaston that lost both regular-season meetings but prevailed in the tournament championship, 3-2.
"I think both of our teams match up evenly," Crest coach Greg Earl said. "We just have to play solid defense against them because they don't make many mistakes."
Crest 9, North Gaston 3 - In the first semifinal, Crest jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
The Chargers combined for eight runs on nine hits in the first two innings to take control.
Freshman catcher Amanda Baker went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a double. Kendyl McWhirter, Bailey Smith and Gracie Pitchford added two hits each, with McWhirter starting the game with a double and Pitchford driving in two runs.
Melissa Hunter and Bailey Smith combined to pitch a three-hitter. Hunter, a senior left-hander, struck out three batters and surrendered one unearned run on one hit in the first three innings. Smith took it from there, striking out four the rest of the way.
Hunter is one of three seniors on the team, along with left fielder Erin McWhirter and first baseman Sarah Dover.
"We've been with the team for four years and we want to go out big," Hunter said.
Krystal Bandy went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs and pitched three innings of relief for North Gaston (12-9), which scored two of its runs in the seventh.
"I just think we were too anxious to play and we rushed the ball when we shouldn't," Bandy said.
NG 001 000 2 - 3 3 4
C 440 010 x - 9 13 3
W - Hunter. L - Russell. HR - none.
East Gaston 11, Ashbrook 3 - The only Big South team to beat East Gaston this season couldn't do it again as the Warriors scored in every inning to win easily.
Cameron Sealey went 4-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and a double and Megan Soots went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run to lead a 16-hit outing.
Tameron Sealey added three runs two hits, including an RBI triple, while Michelle Primm and Blair Collier also had two hits for the Warriors.
Primm, the senior enjoying a huge season, pitched the win, scattering five hits while striking out seven. The defense behind her turned in a another error-free gem.
"They've got good pitching, they play excellent defense and they can sock it around a little bit," Ashbrook coach Rex "Gabby" Carnes said. "They put the pressure on us tonight and we folded a couple of times. They're just tough."
Heather Carnes, Allie Short and Molly Donaldson drove in the runs for Ashbrook (14-10). Andreya O'Brien and Short had a double and a run each and Carnes scored the other run.
A 100 002 0 - 3 5 4
EG 132 212 x - 11 16 0
W - Primm. L - Short. HR - none.
