Providence baseball prepares for Tuesday’s showdown with unbeaten South Caldwell
Providence High baseball coach Danny Hignight isn’t a big fan of the current “one-and-done” baseball playoff format. He’d rather see each series be best-of-3.
“This time of year, anybody can beat anybody,” Hignight said. “Look at Greensboro Page and (Ardrey Kell)Ardrey Kell’s a better team man for man, but Page got hot. In a best-of-3, you get a better chance to see who’s really the better ballclub.”
Page beat Ardrey Kell 4-3 Saturday, rallying with four unearned runs after trailing 3-0.
Tuesday night, Hignight and the Panthers (25-3) visit South Caldwell (25-0) for a third round N.C. 4A playoff game.
“I think our guys are excited,” said Hignight, who scouted South Caldwell Friday when the Spartans beat 2014 4A champ West Forsyth 3-2 in 10 innings. “They’re a quality baseball team. They’ve got a good club. We’ve got a good club too.
“We’ve got to play clean, no unforced mistakes and stay within ourselves. We preach around here that if we play together with love in our hearts and work our tails off, the wins will take care of themselves.”
Victory Christian wins NCISAA track title
Victory Christian won the N.C. Independent Schools 1A/2A boys track championship for the ninth time in 10 years Saturday at Greensboro.
The Kings finished with 121 points, well ahead of Westchester Country Day (102) and The Burlington School (74). Gaston Day (65.5) was fourth.
Carolina Day won the girls’ event with 94 points. Concord First Assembly (68) was second. Northside Christian finished fifth.
Victory Christian got boys wins from Marcus Abraham (shot put and discus), Blake Motley (100 meters), Raequan Villines (200), Jabari Rucker (400) and Caleb Brockman (110 hurdles). Victory also won the 800-meter relay (Rucker, Rashad Brannon, Brockman, Motley).
Other area winners included Gaston Day’s 400-meter relay (Nick Deely, Ray Mitchell, Conrad Sloan, Ian Salman), Concord First Assembly’s Tamia Francis-Robinson (100 and 400), First Assembly’s 400 and 800 girls’ relay teams (Emma Brooks, Vanda McNeill, Elanna Peay, Tamia Francis-Robinson).
CISAA All-Conference Softball
Charlotte Christian: Meredith Harris; McKenzie Lewis; Lauren Foery; Christi Takac; Providence Day: Julianna Roupas; Sam Russ; Sarah Heacock; Chandler Hunt; Covenant Day: Jenny Carlton; Cannon: Alexis Sisko; Taylor Marks; Charlotte Country Day: Burk Darrow; Casey Hewitt; Charlotte Latin: Leila Evans
NCHSAA Playoff pairings
Western Region
BASEBALL
Third round by Tuesday
4A:Providence (25-4) at South Caldwell (25-0), Tues, 7; Northwest Guilford (16-8) at North Davidson (21-4); Watauga (14-12) at East Forsyth (23-4); Greensboro Page (15-9) at Butler (18-5-1), Tues, 7
3A: Weddington (17-11) at Marvin Ridge (23-5), Tues, 7; Forestview (17-9) at West Rowan (19-6); Piedmont (19-9) at Crest (18-6); Cuthbertson (21-7) at Burns (21-3).
2A: West Lincoln (16-8) at Lake Norman Charter (17-5); Hendersonville (19-3) at Randleman (22-0); East Lincoln (21-6) at North Surry (21-4), Tues, 7; West Wilkes (22-5) at West Davidson (21-2).
1A: Murphy (16-5) at East Surry (24-3); South Stanly (17-6) at Hiwassee Dam; Hayesville-North Moore winner vs. Elkin (15-7); East Wilkes (12-12) at Cherryville (23-3).
SOFTBALL
4A: Porter Ridge (16-5) at South Caldwell (24-0), Tues, 6; Richmond County (20-4) at Olympic (19-2), Tues, 5:30; North Davidson (21-5) at West Forsyth (23-2); Northwest Guilford (19-5) at Alexander Central (23-0), Tues, 6
3A: West Iredell (15-7) at Enka (23-0); Hickory Ridge (15-11) at Ledford (18-7); Asheville Reynolds (16-5) at Sun Valley (22-2); Piedmont (19-4) at Kings Mountain (19-2).
2A: Eastern Randolph (9-10) at Forbush (23-1); Wheatmore (17-5) at vs West Lincoln; Parkwood (16-5) at R-S Central (18-4); Franklin at Polk County (21-3)
1A:Gray Stone Day (12-4) at Hiwassee Dam (20-2); North Stokes (18-5) at East Wilkes (21-5); West Montgomery (12-8) at North Stanly (17-3); East Surry (19-6) at Lincoln Charter (20-2).
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Third round by Wednesday
4A West: Grimsley at Lake Norman, Tues, 7:30; East Forsyth at West Forsyth; Ardrey Kell at Ragsdale; Charlotte Catholic at Providence, Wed, 7
3A West: Sun Valley at Hickory; Foard at AC Reynolds; Asheville at Weddington; Cuthbertson at Cox Mill
2A West: East Lincoln at Lake Norman Charter, Wed, 7; Franklin at Ashe Co.; Polk Co. at Forbush; Parkwood at Salisbury
1A West: Thomas Jefferson at Union Academy; Lincoln Charter at Elkin; Bishop McGuinness at Gray Stone Day; Avery Co. at Community School
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Tuesday’s 1A/2A/3A Western Regional final: Northern Guilford at Marvin Ridge, Tues, 7
Tuesday’s 4A regional final: Charlotte Catholic at RJ Reynolds, Tues, 7
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Tuesday’s regional final: SE Guilford at Lake Norman, 5:30
This story was originally published May 18, 2015 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Providence baseball prepares for Tuesday’s showdown with unbeaten South Caldwell."