HPCA tops Wesleyan in regular-season finale
By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
WALLBURG — Lexi Hall sparked High Point Christian’s offense and brought Wesleyan’s attack to a halt from the circle Friday.
Hall smashed a two-run homer in the first to put the Cougars on the board and they ran their way from there to a 13-3 Senior Day victory over the Trojans in five innings at Wallburg Baptist Church.
“She crushed it,” HPCA coach Lin Hayworth said. “At that moment it’s 2-0 (Weslyean) and it’s two outs and we weren’t doing a whole lot and she busted it. That broke the ice.”
Hall wound up going 3 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs. Laci Jarrell was 1 for 3 with three runs scored and three stolen bases. Maci Burkhart was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Mary Douglas Hayworth went 2 for 4 and scored a run.
On the mound, Hall went the distance. The two Wesleyan runs in the first scored on a walk after she walked the bases loaded and an inability to make a force play at home.
She allowed three hits and six base runners the rest of the way; and Wesleyan scratched out a run in the fifth thanks to a throw that went wide of first on a ground ball.
“We played well,” Hayworth said. “We struggled in the first, walked a few kids, but Lexi got it back together. We hit the ball well, moved runners, took advantage of some stuff on the base paths. It worked out.”
After Hall’s homer, Sarah Carter singled and scored on an error. Sarah Kate Carr scored on a passed ball and Autumn Charbpneau laced an RBI single. In the second, Mary Douglas Hayworth and Maci Burkhart slapped run scoring singles and another run scored on a walk.
Hayworth and Burkhart added run-scoring singles in the third, Hall drove in a run with a hit that went for three bases and Natalie Wilkinson drove in another with an infield hit. The Cougars scored on a groundout in the fourth.
HPCA finishes the regular season 9-5, which is its best record under Hayworth, who said he expects the Cougars to be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed when the pairings are announced for next week’s NCISAA 3A playoffs.
“We just have to be consistent all the way around,” Hayworth said. “We have some slappers and we have to get the ball on the ground and thumpers that we need to have thumping.”
Wesleyan dropped to 3-10. Head coach Rick Chiavichien said the Trojans have a thin roster because of injuries.
“We’re a young group and we’re hoping to learn every day out,” Chiavichien said. “We are improving even though our performance didn’t show it today. We are getting better.”
Chiavichien said that early success in games has been a pattern.
“We’ve been able to stay in most games for the first two or three innings and then things start happening from there,” Chiavichien said. “But I’m proud of the girls. They stay together and work hard.”
Wesleyan now looks forward to the 4A playoffs. Chiavichien said the Trojans could possibly host a first-round game Tuesday as a No. 8 seed.
gsmith@hpenews.com | 336-888-3519 | @HPEgreer
By GREER SMITH ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
WALLBURG — Lexi Hall sparked High Point Christian’s offense and brought Wesleyan’s attack to a halt from the circle Friday.
Hall smashed a two-run homer in the first to put the Cougars on the board and they ran their way from there to a 13-3 Senior Day victory over the Trojans in five innings at Wallburg Baptist Church.
“She crushed it,” HPCA coach Lin Hayworth said. “At that moment it’s 2-0 (Weslyean) and it’s two outs and we weren’t doing a whole lot and she busted it. That broke the ice.”
Hall wound up going 3 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs. Laci Jarrell was 1 for 3 with three runs scored and three stolen bases. Maci Burkhart was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Mary Douglas Hayworth went 2 for 4 and scored a run.
On the mound, Hall went the distance. The two Wesleyan runs in the first scored on a walk after she walked the bases loaded and an inability to make a force play at home.
She allowed three hits and six base runners the rest of the way; and Wesleyan scratched out a run in the fifth thanks to a throw that went wide of first on a ground ball.
“We played well,” Hayworth said. “We struggled in the first, walked a few kids, but Lexi got it back together. We hit the ball well, moved runners, took advantage of some stuff on the base paths. It worked out.”
After Hall’s homer, Sarah Carter singled and scored on an error. Sarah Kate Carr scored on a passed ball and Autumn Charbpneau laced an RBI single. In the second, Mary Douglas Hayworth and Maci Burkhart slapped run scoring singles and another run scored on a walk.
Hayworth and Burkhart added run-scoring singles in the third, Hall drove in a run with a hit that went for three bases and Natalie Wilkinson drove in another with an infield hit. The Cougars scored on a groundout in the fourth.
HPCA finishes the regular season 9-5, which is its best record under Hayworth, who said he expects the Cougars to be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed when the pairings are announced for next week’s NCISAA 3A playoffs.
“We just have to be consistent all the way around,” Hayworth said. “We have some slappers and we have to get the ball on the ground and thumpers that we need to have thumping.”
Wesleyan dropped to 3-10. Head coach Rick Chiavichien said the Trojans have a thin roster because of injuries.
“We’re a young group and we’re hoping to learn every day out,” Chiavichien said. “We are improving even though our performance didn’t show it today. We are getting better.”
Chiavichien said that early success in games has been a pattern.
“We’ve been able to stay in most games for the first two or three innings and then things start happening from there,” Chiavichien said. “But I’m proud of the girls. They stay together and work hard.”
Wesleyan now looks forward to the 4A playoffs. Chiavichien said the Trojans could possibly host a first-round game Tuesday as a No. 8 seed.
gsmith@hpenews.com | 336-888-3519 | @HPEgreer
