Cougars beat Concord 10-0
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian pieced together another solid early-season win.
The Cougars allowed just one hit behind a strong performance by Dylan Story while tallying 10 of their own – including two home runs by Noah Hill – in beating Concord Academy 10-0 in five innings Monday in nonconference baseball at Oak View Baptist Church.
“I thought we did a good job pitching the ball,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said. “Dylan came out throwing a lot of strikes, making a lot of really good pitches. So, that’s always key. The team gets confidence from the pitcher. So Dylan came out throwing hard.
“We made a couple plays – just basic plays – behind him. And when he’s throwing like that, that’s what we need to do. Typically early in the season pitchers are a little ahead of the hitters, and so we understand that and want to play solid defense. Our first game against Providence Day we didn’t and we lost.”
Hill went 2 for 3 with a pair of two-run home runs to lead the Cougars (3-1), who posted their third straight shutout. Owen Smith added two hits, including a double, while Thomas Tickerhoff added a fourth-inning RBI double.
Yates Sikes, Trace Aufderhar and Bryson King each chipped in a hit and an RBI as HPCA posted a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, tacked on one in the third and broke free with five in the fourth.
“We played really well,” said Hill, a senior catcher. “The bats swung it really well. Our pitcher, Dylan, came out today and dialed. And our defense backed him up. Early in the season, we’re all learning how to play together right now. So, when we’re able to get together early, hopefully it leads to making it to another state championship,” he said with a smile.
Hill’s homer to left-center highlighted the first, then Sikes singled to right to drive in a run and later scored on a wild pitch in the second. King singled up the middle in the third to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.
HPCA – tallying six hits during an eight-batter inning – tacked on five runs in the fourth to enact the 10-run mercy rule. Auferhar singled, Hill homered, Dylan Story had a sacrifice fly, and Tickerhoff doubled to drive in runs.
“It’s really, really good,” Hill said. “Our barrels are working one through nine right now. So we want to keep going. When we see even better pitching, hopefully we can keep hitting that and we’ll have a great year.”
On the mound, Story struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced in earning the win. He allowed just two batters to reach – a hit batter to start the game (who was later caught stealing) and an infield single up the middle in the second.
King struck out all three batters he faced in the fifth to close out the win for the Cougars, who are coming off a 20-6 season last year in which they reached the NCISAA 3A state championship series.
HPCA plays again today at home against North Raleigh Christian.
“We just want to work and try to get better every day,” Gesell said of the team’s expectations. “We don’t talk about anything having to do with the end of the season. We just talk about getting a little bit better today and staying hungry.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
HP CHRISTIAN 10, CONCORD ACADEMY 0 (5 INNS.)
CA 000 00 — 0 1 3
HPCA 221 5X — 10 10 0
WP — Story (4IP, 7K, 0BB, 1H, 0R, HBP, WP);
LP — Fabin (3IP, 3K, 2BB, 4H, 5R, 3WP)
Leading hitters — CA: Lyne (1-2); HPCA: Hill (2-3, 2HR, 4RBI), Smith (2-3, 2B), Tickerhoff (1-1, 2B, RBI), Sikes (1-3, RBI), Aufderhar (1-2, RBI), King (1-1, RBI)
Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — High Point Christian pieced together another solid early-season win.
The Cougars allowed just one hit behind a strong performance by Dylan Story while tallying 10 of their own – including two home runs by Noah Hill – in beating Concord Academy 10-0 in five innings Monday in nonconference baseball at Oak View Baptist Church.
“I thought we did a good job pitching the ball,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said. “Dylan came out throwing a lot of strikes, making a lot of really good pitches. So, that’s always key. The team gets confidence from the pitcher. So Dylan came out throwing hard.
“We made a couple plays – just basic plays – behind him. And when he’s throwing like that, that’s what we need to do. Typically early in the season pitchers are a little ahead of the hitters, and so we understand that and want to play solid defense. Our first game against Providence Day we didn’t and we lost.”
Hill went 2 for 3 with a pair of two-run home runs to lead the Cougars (3-1), who posted their third straight shutout. Owen Smith added two hits, including a double, while Thomas Tickerhoff added a fourth-inning RBI double.
Yates Sikes, Trace Aufderhar and Bryson King each chipped in a hit and an RBI as HPCA posted a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, tacked on one in the third and broke free with five in the fourth.
“We played really well,” said Hill, a senior catcher. “The bats swung it really well. Our pitcher, Dylan, came out today and dialed. And our defense backed him up. Early in the season, we’re all learning how to play together right now. So, when we’re able to get together early, hopefully it leads to making it to another state championship,” he said with a smile.
Hill’s homer to left-center highlighted the first, then Sikes singled to right to drive in a run and later scored on a wild pitch in the second. King singled up the middle in the third to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.
HPCA – tallying six hits during an eight-batter inning – tacked on five runs in the fourth to enact the 10-run mercy rule. Auferhar singled, Hill homered, Dylan Story had a sacrifice fly, and Tickerhoff doubled to drive in runs.
“It’s really, really good,” Hill said. “Our barrels are working one through nine right now. So we want to keep going. When we see even better pitching, hopefully we can keep hitting that and we’ll have a great year.”
On the mound, Story struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced in earning the win. He allowed just two batters to reach – a hit batter to start the game (who was later caught stealing) and an infield single up the middle in the second.
King struck out all three batters he faced in the fifth to close out the win for the Cougars, who are coming off a 20-6 season last year in which they reached the NCISAA 3A state championship series.
HPCA plays again today at home against North Raleigh Christian.
“We just want to work and try to get better every day,” Gesell said of the team’s expectations. “We don’t talk about anything having to do with the end of the season. We just talk about getting a little bit better today and staying hungry.”
mlindsay@hpenews.com | 336-888-3526 | @HPEmichael
HP CHRISTIAN 10, CONCORD ACADEMY 0 (5 INNS.)
CA 000 00 — 0 1 3
HPCA 221 5X — 10 10 0
WP — Story (4IP, 7K, 0BB, 1H, 0R, HBP, WP);
LP — Fabin (3IP, 3K, 2BB, 4H, 5R, 3WP)
Leading hitters — CA: Lyne (1-2); HPCA: Hill (2-3, 2HR, 4RBI), Smith (2-3, 2B), Tickerhoff (1-1, 2B, RBI), Sikes (1-3, RBI), Aufderhar (1-2, RBI), King (1-1, RBI)
