Tommy Lawley pitched all seven innings for Davidson Day’s middle school/junior varsity team in a 10-1 win against Gaston Day’s middle school team.

He also recorded all 21 outs.

Lawley, an eighth-grader, struck out 21 batters and threw a no-hitter in the March 13 game.

“I’d never seen that before,” coach Dave Serepca said. “It was a completely dominant performance by a young man.”

Gaston Day’s only base runners came on five walks given up by Lawley and one error.

The lone run came on a passed ball during the seventh inning.

Serepca said Lawley, who is 5-foot-10, overpowered batters. He has an “above average” fastball that the Gaston Day batters could not catch up with. He threw very few change-ups and curveballs.

“He looked like a man amongst boys,” Serepca said. “He was so far ahead of the hitters we didn’t want to throw change-ups and let the batters catch up with him.”

Serepca said the players were relaxed during the game. Lawley didn’t make a big deal of the accomplishment after the game.

“It was more for him just having fun with his buddies at the ballpark,” Serepca said.

Lawley’s chance at a perfect game ended in the fifth inning, when the first baseman dropped the throw from the shortstop on a routine ground ball.

Lawley wasn’t mad. He went over to the first baseman and encouraged him.

“That’s typical for Tommy,” Serepca said. “It didn’t bother him at all.”

School’s first no-hitter

Morganton Patton coach Kurt Reid remembers coaching Brock Toner when the latter was a 10-year-old Little Leaguer.

He taught him how to throw a curveball two years ago when Toner was a freshman on the junior varsity team.

Now he has a new memory: watching Toner throw the 6-year-old school’s first no-hitter in a 10-0 win against Draughn on Feb. 28.

Toner, a right-handed junior, faced 17 batters in the five-inning no-hitter. He struck out 10 and allowed two base runners on a walk and a hit batter.

“It’s a nice personal accomplishment for him and something that he’ll long remember,” Reid said.

Toner’s fastball reaches the mid-80s and he has complemented that with a good curveball, Reid said. He mixes his pitches well.

In three starts this season, he has yet to give up a run.

Since the no-hitter, he has faced 39 batters and given up five hits and four walks. He has 24 strikeouts.

“All three of his outings, he’s done exactly the same thing,” Reid said.

More no-hitters

East Gaston’s Matthew Grimmett threw a perfect game with nine strikeouts in a 3-0, season-opening win against Hunter Huss on Feb. 28.

North Gaston’s Jared Wallace struck out 14 in a perfect game March 15 against Gastonia Ashbrook. North Gaston won 8-0.

Concord Robinson’s Philip Perry threw a no-hitter in a 5-0 win against Kannapolis Brown on March 7.

Hignight wins 200th

Danny Hignight won his 200th game as Providence High coach this season.

The Panthers beat Hough 2-0 on Feb. 28 for the milestone win.

Providence is 5-4 (2-1 Southwestern 4A) this year.