From thepilot.com – The Pinecrest baseball team watched in the preseason where senior pitcher Mason Konen came in more focused and determined.

The results have shown in recent weeks, including in Tuesday’s 7-0 win for Pinecrest at Union Pines, a win that locked in the outright Sandhills Athletic Conference regular season title for the Patriots, which marks the sixth straight complete season the team finished as either the champs or co-champs of their conference.

“We had been talking about mental toughness for the last two years, me and (Pinecrest) coach (Jeff) Hewitt. It’s been something we have worked on probably close to every day,” Konen said. “It means just zoning in on my job. Just throw strikes, hit my spots and do what I’m supposed to do and not worry about any outside forces.”

Hewitt said in the preseason he noticed a change with Konen, and what has developed over the last 22 games of the season has secured him as another key arm to add depth to the Pinecrest (19-3,10-1 Sandhills) pitching staff. READ MORE.

From thepilot.com – The Pinecrest baseball team got a feel of what it means to find a way to win like a playoff game in a matchup of two of the top teams in their respective classifications at home Thursday night.

West Stanly is a highly-ranked team in the 2A West division, and kept the Patriots at bay for six innings before the home team’s bats cranked up in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 7-6 win for the eighth straight victory for Pinecrest.

“When a head coach schedules as season, you start sprinkling some games that you want to be a playoff atmosphere type of game,” Pinecrest coach Jeff Hewitt said. “It wasn’t our best game, but we did exactly what we had to do to win. Going back to a playoff atmosphere, a playoff game, that’s what you’ve got to. You’ve just got to find a way to win and go on to the next game.”

Pinecrest (17-3) never led until their final at-bat in the non-conference contest, as West Stanly (13-4) sophomore pitcher Sam Carpenter kept the Patriots off balance in the batter’s box. Carpenter held Pinecrest hitless through the first three innings, and Pinecrest senior Grayson Hudgins put the first hit on the board in the bottom of the fourth. The score was locked in at 1-all after the end of the fourth inning following a bases-loaded walk. READ MORE.

From thepilot.com – The Pinecrest baseball team defeated Hoke County by a 9-1 score at home Wednesday after the game was postponed a day after inclement weather Tuesday.

Senior Dylan Floyd hit a home run and drove home two runs in the win, while fellow senior Josh Slade had three hits and four RBIs.

Senior Mason Konen struck out 10 batters in his four innings on the mound, and Eythan Reynolds and James Vandevander each had two strikeouts.

Pinecrest hosts West Stanly Thursday. READ MORE.