Double trouble
South Caldwell baseball and softball are both going to the state championship next week
South Caldwell's Tempy Trivette (12) gets congratulations from the team after producing a walk-off RBI single to win the game over Kings Mountain on Wednesday in the 6a West region championship softball series.
South Caldwell's Holland Weisner (21) hits a three-RBI triple to tie the game against Kings Mountain on Wednesday in the 6a West region championship softball series.
South Caldwell's Tempy Trivette (12) blasts a one-un single to win the game over Kings Mountain on Wednesday in the 6a West region championship softball series.
South Caldwell's starting pitcher Nate Hall (4) fires a pitch to the plate during Tuesday night's 6a regional championship game.
The South Caldwell High School baseball and softball teams are both 6A West Region champions after home wins on Wednesday.
The softball team engineered a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Kings Mountain in game two of the regional finals. It came a day after they beat Kings Mountain 9-0 on the road in game one.
Moments later, South Caldwell pitchers Brady Boston and Luke Church combined to finish off the final three Alexander Central batters to secure the 5-3 win on the baseball field.
Backs against the wall
South Caldwell softball came into that final inning trailing Kings Mountain 6-3.
Head coach Casey Justice said he wasn't that worried because he knows what his lineup is capable of.
"One positive I love is there is zero quit in them," he said. "And we see them put up big-number runs in innings, so they don't ever think they're out of it. ... We knew we had the top coming up and if we could get a couple on, we had a good chance."
The first three South Caldwell batters loaded the bases with no outs, bringing up Holland Weisner. Weisner said she wasn't worried either because she knew she had plenty more good players behind her.
"I wasn't really nervous," she said. "Even if I just hit a deep fly ball to score one, we'd be closer to winning. So really, just touching the ball is what I was thinking about."
Weisner didn't just touch the ball, though. She blasted a bases-clearing triple into the corner in left field to tie the game at six. Two batters later, Mallory Winebarger knocked a ground ball up the middle to bring Weisner in for the walk-off win.
Punching their ticket
The win gives the Spartans a 2-0 sweep in the 6A West Regional championship series after the Spartans took game one 9-0 in Kings Mountain on Tuesday. Mallory Winebarger went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBIs in that one. Mcartney Harrington also crushed her 14th home run of the year.
Pitcher Maddy Moore threw all 14 innings over the two nights for the Spartans.
It's the second straight trip to the state championship series for the Spartans. South Caldwell won the 4A state title last year in Durham. Weisner said she can't wait to go back and compete for another crown.
"It's the best feeling in the world, getting to play with my best friends and getting to experience this wonderful moment with them," she said. "Winning a state championship and winning regionals, it's such a tough thing to do and to be able to do it with my best friends, it's honestly the best feeling ever."
She said knowing that baseball nd softball are going to states ogether makes it that much weeter.
"It's so cool being able to have wo teams going to states," Weiser said. "We're really close with the baseball coaches, wishing them good luck. I wanted them to win and have this awesome moment with them so baseball and softball can experience a state championship."
It's a sweet moment for Justice too. "Coach Parham coached all of us. He coached me," Justice said. "It's awesome because we still do a lot of the things that he taught us."
Getting ahead
The big moments for the South Caldwell baseball team came earlier in the night.
Luke Church hit a solo home run over the left field wall to start the bottom of the fourth inning for South Caldwell. The Spartans were trailing 2-0 at that point.
Then, South Caldwell put up four runs in the fourth to take the lead for good. Two runs scored off an Alexander Central fielding error and then Church hit a single down the left field line to score two more and put the team up 5-2. Alexander Central got one run in the top of the sixth, but South Caldwell hung on for the 5-3 win.
Head coach Jeff Parham said he is proud of the way his group has come together in recent weeks.
"There was a stretch in the season where we were kind of sliding a little bit," Parham said. "I'm proud of the seniors and what they've accomplished. It's a great group."
He said he is excited to take such a great group of young men to the state championship.
"We're not through, we've got to get ready and, like I said, we've got to finish this thing," he said.
A lifelong goal
Senior Nathan Hall was overcome with emotion after the game, thinking about what he and his teammates have accomplished in their final weeks together.
"It's such an unbelievable feeling," he said. "We came from the sandlots. All of us have played together our whole lives. I'm in tears. I'm emotional. It's a crazy feeling."
He said going together with the softball team makes it even better.
"It's a great group of athletes here, all around," Hall said. "I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it."
Jason Koon is the Sports Editor for the Hickory record and can be reached at jason.koon@lee.net.
