From thepilot.com – Misplays and missed opportunities brought the curtain down on the season for the Pinecrest baseball team at Raleigh Millbrook Friday night.

The home team overcame a 1-0 Patriot lead by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of the first-round state 4-A playoff game. Left-hander Tristan Helms took the 2-1 loss in spite of allowing only one hit and no earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Brian Nobles went the distance for the Wildcats, allowing no earned runs and three hits. Second baseman Cam Embler went 2-for-3 with a triple in his final game for the Patriots.

The Patriots, the third seed from the Southeastern Conference, finish with a record of 16-9. The third-seeded Wildcats from the CAP 8 take a 15-7 mark into a second-round game at Green Hope on Tuesday. READ MORE.

From thepilot.com – All three local public high schools have teams in both the baseball and softball state playoffs.

In baseball, North Moore plays at Lake Norman Charter in the 1-A bracket, Union Pines entertains McMichael in the 3-A bracket and Pinecrest travels to Millbrook for its opener in the 4-A playoffs.

All games are set for Friday night with 7 p.m. starting times.

In softball, North Moore travels to Union Academy in 1-A play, Union Pines entertains South Vance and Pinecrest travels to Leesville Road. All games are on Friday with 7 p.m. starting times. READ MORE.

NCHSAA State Baseball Championship Playoff Brackets

View Complete 4A Bracket (East and West)

Link to All Baseball Brackets (All Classifications)

From thepilot.com – It took 11 innings to settle Tuesday’s high stakes battle between Pinecrest and Richmond Senior in a one of the semifinal games of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.

The Patriots (15-8) rallied from 5-0 and 8-5 deficits before the Raiders (20-5) pushed across two runs in the top of the 11th to saddle Pinecrest with a 10-8 defeat. Richmond will meet Scotland High, a 9-1 victor over Lumberton, for the tournament title on Thursday.

Patriot starting pitcher Tristan Helms and three relievers combined for eight shutout innings after the Raiders jumped all over the home side for five runs in the top of the first. A two-run homer by Cam Embler in the fourth, and a run-scoring double by Austin Embler followed by a two-run single by Bryce Owen in the 10th were some of the key Patriot hits in the uphill fight.

Uppermost in the minds of the two squads that finished the regular season tied for second place was gaining the league’s second seed for the state 4-A playoffs that begin on May 11 and the first-round home game that goes with it. READ MORE.

From yourdailyjournal.com – The coin flip didn’t work out the way Richmond Senior baseball coach Ricky Young wanted.

Instead of earning the No. 2 seed in the Southeastern Conference tournament and receiving a bye in the opening round, the Raiders will battle sixth-seeded Hoke County at 7 p.m. Monday.

Richmond, which had its nine-game winning streak snapped Thursday by Scotland, are 18-5 on the year. The Raiders swept the season-series with the Bucks, winning the first game 8-2 and rallying for an 8-7 victory in the second contest.

The winner of the Richmond-Hoke clash will travel to play Pinecrest, the No. 2 seed, at 7 p.m. Tuesday. In the other opening round contest, Purnell Swett will take on its in-county rival Lumberton. The SEC’s regular season champion, Scotland, will face either the Rams or the Pirates in the semifinals. READ MORE.