Pitcher-catcher friendship could be key for Hickory Ridge in NCHSAA state finals

Hickory Ridge girls’ softball coach Justin Davies says his team is close-knit, but the friendship between two of his players could have a big role in the Ragin’ Bulls’ hopes of winning the 4A state championship this weekend.

Hickory Ridge (26-2) faces Alex (20-7) in a best-of-3 finals series at Duke Softball Stadium in Durham. Game 1 will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, with the series concluding Saturday.

The Bulls are in the state finals for the first time.

Apex reached the championships in 1997 and 2003. Back then, four teams played in the championship series, competing in a double-elimination format. The Cougars never reached the final two teams.

Apex started the season 1-3, and its seven losses are the most of any team playing for a softball state championship this weekend. They have hit only 12 home runs this season.

But they are masterful on the basepaths.

The Cougars have totaled 160 stolen bases, far more than any other state finalist. Hickory Ridge, which also likes to manufacture runs on the basepaths, has 45 stolen bases.

The Cougars’ stolen base success will make the relationship between pitcher Anna Dew and catcher Tori Kirkpatrick important.

Good news for Hickory Ridge fans — Dew and Kirkpatrick are best friends.

“This is a close team, but my relationship with Tori is really close,” Dew said. “We’re friends, and we work together extremely well.”

Last week in the West Regional finals, Dew credited Kirkpatrick for helping get her through a couple rough spots in the regional-clinching victory against Marvin Ridge.

“We’ve played together so long, that she knows how to keep me calm,” Dew said.

Calling the right pitch — and having that pitch thrown to the right spot — will be critical this weekend if Hickory Ridge wants to keep Apex from running laps around the basepaths.

“I started playing softball when I was 9, and I’ve played on school and travel-ball teams,” said Dew, who has a 0.34 ERA and has struck out 240 in 145 innings this season. “But I’ve never been on a team as close as this one.”

“The girls on this team love one another,” said assistant coach Kevin LaRusa.

Stolen bases, walks and errors are likely to play magnified roles in determining the outcome of this series.

Hickory Ridge has hit only 21 home runs this season, and Davies said his team “sometimes has gotten creative in producing runs.”

Shortstop Grace Bechtol leads the team in hitting (.517) and has 17 stolen bases. Dew (.440) and Kirkpatrick (.341) are the other top hitters.

Apex’s starting pitcher, senior Madeline Degnan, is 15-5 with a 2.30 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 136.2 innings.

Sophomore Leah Kendall (.506, 40 stolen bases) and senior Kaleigh Ayscue (.469) are other leading hitters for the Cougars.

“A lot of the players on this team were with us last year,” Davies said. “Last year’s team was very good, but we lost some tough games. We had a few tight games this season, too. I think that has toughened us.”

Union Academy in finals

Union Academy (24-4) will face North Duplin (23-3) for the 1A championship, with the best-of-3 series set for Dail Softball Stadium, on the N.C. State campus in Raleigh. Game 1 is at 7 p.m. Friday.

This is the first championship appearance in softball for Union Academy, while North Duplin won the 1A title in 2015.

The series matches a pair of strong hitting attacks. Union Academy has a team batting average of .419, while North Duplin is batting .451.

The key player for Union Academy is senior Gracie Hollingsworth. She has a 19-3 record on the mound, with a 1.05 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 146.2 innings pitched. At the plate, she is batting .467, with 13 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, and 41 RBI9.

Junior Riley Griffin (.619, 60 hits, 16 doubles, 14 stolen bases) and sophomore Paisley Boatright (.538, 43 hits, 30 RBI) also are leaders.

North Duplin features one of the state’s leading hitters, in junior Reece Outlaw. Her statistics: .656 batting average; 59 hits; 59 runs; 13 triples; 13 home runs; 47 RBI.

Freshman Lily Fulghum is batting .544 with 10 homers, and she also is the team’s No. 1 pitcher, with a 16-2 record and a 1.04 ERA.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle