Hopewell, pitcher Jack Ardnt, stop South Caldwell, roll into 3rd round of NCHSAA playoffs
Hopewell High’s baseball team has a nice run going on right now.
The Titans have had four straight winning seasons, and after Friday’s 11-6 win over South Caldwell, Hopewell improved to 22-6 this year and won its 10th straight game. If they keep going, the Titans could tie or beat the 24-5 record put up by the 2008 team which reached the third round of the playoffs.
And Friday night, Hopewell showed some championship mettle, trailing 6-2 before rallying with some hot hitting and some strong pitching from Jack Ardnt, who went 3.2 shutout innings.
“This is just our team this year,” coach Shawn McGeorge said. “We get down and then we battle back. In the last round we were down to one strike from being eliminated from this thing but were able to scratch out two and get a big hit.”
Both teams were having efficient at bats early but each only managed one run apiece in the first inning.
After the Titans scored in the second and the Spartans in the third, South Caldwell smacked a two-run home run. In the top of the fourth, it added two more runs. All of the sudden, the South Caldwell lead had swelled to 6-2.
Hopewell didn’t panic.
“The four runs wasn’t that bad,” McGeorge said. “I just kept telling my guys that you have four more innings to get runs.”
And get runs they did.
The Titans put up five runs in the bottom of the fourth, regaining the lead.
Hopewell would go on to put up more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, really putting the game away. And next up for the Titans? A third round game at Western No. 1 seed Skyland Roberson next week.
“There’s eight teams left in the west region and they will all be tough at this point,” McGeorge said. “They are a phenomenal team but you have eight teams left that are all deserving to be here.”
THREE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Jack Ardnt, Hopewell: Ardnt came in relief in the top of the fourth inning and stymied the Spartans’ scoring run.
“Jack is Jack,” McGeorge said of his reliever. “I know he wants to play other positions, but he accepts his role and is our go-to reliever.”
Chase Soesbee, Hopewell: The starting pitcher for the Titans went 3-for-4 from the plate in the game, bringing in a few runs as well.
Blake McDowell, Hopewell: McDowell — like his teammate Soesbee — also went 3-for-4 on the night and was a part of a barrage of hits in the bottom of the fourth for the Titans.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ There were four lead changes during the game — a lot due to the hot bats of both squads early.
WHAT’S NEXT?
South Caldwell’s season will come to an end while the Hopewell Titans advance to the third round of the playoffs and will travel to top-seeded T.C. Roberson next week.
SUMMARY
Hopewell: 1 1 0 5 1 3 X — 11
South Caldwell: 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 — 6
WP: Jack Ardnt (3.2 IP, 5K, 0BB, 0ER)
