Upset Thursday: Hough, South Meck, Independence win CMS conference baseball championships

By Steve Lyttle and Langston Wertz Jr. lwertz@charlotteobserver.com

Updated May 10, 2018 12:18 PM

Hough Huskies short stop Jon Schuldt (2) scores off of a base hit single. Hough would face the number 1 seed Lake Norman Wildcats in the 4A I-Meck Tournament Championship. Jonathan Aguallo Special to the Observer

Top seeds went 0-for-3 Thursday night in Charlotte-area high school baseball tournament championships, with a second seed and third-place regular-season finishers winning conference crowns.

Hough blew open a tight game and beat the Lake Norman Wildcats on their own field 10-3.

In the SoMeck 7 4A championship, host and No. 3 seed South Mecklenburg took an early lead and held off regular-season champ Providence 5-4.

And in the Southwestern 4A title game at Harrisburg Hickory Ridge, top seed Myers Park dropped an 11-9 decision in eight innings to third seed Independence, which is among the area’s hottest teams.

I-Meck 4A

Hough 10, Lake Norman 3: The Huskies scored three times in the sixth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie, then pulled away with four runs in the seventh. Their final-inning surge included a two-run home run by J.D. Brock.

SoMeck 7 4A

South Mecklenburg 5, Providence 4: Thomas Umphlett’s two-run double keyed a four-run second inning, and the Sabres hung on as Providence battled back. Jake Slattery had two hits and an RBI for the victors. Starting pitcher Jackson Benjamin got the victory, with Greg Hommes earning the save.

Southwestern 4A

Independence 11, Myers Park 9 (8 innings): Independence surprised regular-season champ Myers Park on its home field last Friday, downed runner-up Hickory Ridge on its home field Tuesday, and then knocked off the Mustangs again Thursday. The Patriots, 16-10 overall this season, built a big lead early Thursday night, but the Mustangs battled back.

Brian Comer slammed four hits and Chase Rappe added two hits and two RBI for Independence. Patrick Alvarez had three hits and Jack Ahlum three RBI for the Mustangs.

North Piedmont 3A

China Grove Jesse Carson 5, East Rowan 1: Owen White pitched the Chargers to victory and added two hits. Clayton Gilmore had three hits for the conference champions, who were the No. 1 seed. East Rowan was seeded second.

South Fork 2A

North Lincoln 3, Catawba Bandys 0: Top-seeded North Lincoln scored three times in the bottom of the third, getting RBI’s from David Borges, Tyler Lilly and Tyler McPeak. Lilly, the winning pitcher, tossed a four-hitter. Bandys was the No. 2 seed.

Southern Piedmont 1A

Cherryville 6, Lincoln Charter 4 (8 innings): The second-seeded Ironmen knocked off the host and conference top seed.

Metrolina 8

Southlake Christian 8, Indian Trail Metrolina Christian 6: Southlake Christian broke a 6-6 tie with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and the regular-season champion prevailed in the tournament title game. Derek Fairley had two hits and two RBI, and Darien Fairley and Joshua Haney each added two RBI.

_{Central Carolina 2A}

_{Ledford 5, Salisbury 4: The fourth-seeded Hornets, who upset regular-season champ North Davidson in the semifinals, came up a run short against second-seed Ledford in the tournament finale. Salisbury jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, with Jack Fisher slamming a two-run double. Vance Honeycutt had two hits for the Hornets.}

_{Foothills 2A}

_{Claremont Bunker Hill 11, East Burke 6: Top-seeded Bunker Hill downed fifth seed East Burke and moved into Friday’s title game.}

_{Newton Fred T. Foard 3, Lenoir Hibriten 2: The second-seeded Tigers nipped third-seeded Hibriten and will meet Bunker Hill in the finals.}

_{South Fork 2A}

_{North Lincoln 3, Catawba Bandys 0: North Lincoln added the tournament title to the regular-season crown, scoring three times in the bottom of the third. David Borges, Tyler Lilly and Tyler McPeak had RBI’s. Lilly, the winning pitcher, tossed a four-hitter. Bandys was the No. 2 seed.}

_{Southern Piedmont 1A}

_{Cherryville 6, Lincoln Charter 4 (8 innings): Lincoln Charter won the regular-season title, but the second-seeded Ironmen knocked off the host for the tournament crown.}

_{S.C. 5A playoffs}

_{Roebuck Dorman 3, Fort Mill Nation Ford 2: The Falcons dropped the opener of the double-elimination Upper State finals and will host Greer Riverside on Saturday in an elimination contest. Losing pitcher Derek Sivac went six innings, scattering six hits. Andrew Pappalardo had two hits and an RBI for Nation Ford.}

_{S.C. 3A playoffs}

_{Indian Land 4, Camden 1: The Braves advanced to Saturday’s winners’ bracket finals in the Upper State tournament. They will travel to Seneca, a 7-2 winner Thursday over Pendleton.}

_{S.C. 2A playoffs}

_{Cheraw 11, Blacksburg 1: The victory sends Cheraw to Chesnee on Saturday in the winners’ bracket finals of the Upper State tournament.}

_{S.C. 1A playoffs}

_{Lamar 3, Richburg Lewisville 2 (11 innings): Lamar scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th, after a runner had reached on an error, gotten to second on a sacrifice bunt, and to third on a wild pitch. Lewisville left 12 runners on base, many of them in scoring position. Lewisville plays an Upper State elimination game Saturday at home against Ridge Spring-Monetta.}

_{McBee 5, Ridge Spring-Monetta 0:

McBee will host Lamar in Saturday’s Upper State winners’ bracket finals.}

_{Other game}

_{Gaston Day 2, Carmel Christian 1: Winning pitcher Parker Rhyne (6.1 innings, one hit, no earned runs, 10 strikeouts) outdueled Carmel Christian’s Michael Owen (seven innings, five hits, 11 strikeouts)}

Report results of your school’s spring sports games and matches to obspreps@gmail.com.

Photos from I-MECK 4A championship