MINT HILL, NC – This writer covered two games at Queens Grant High School on the same day. In a rare occasion both clubs played a home game on the same day. The non-conference baseball game was make-up and rescheduled due to inclement weather. While the ladies played a regularly scheduled conference ball game at the Corral.
The ladies took a quick 3-0 lead with a combination of walks and key hits by Alyssa Steele who drilled a triple into the left center field gap, and RBI singles by Sophie Stenmark and Adi Benton. The Lady Stallions extended their lead with an 8 run explosion in the second inning after South Lake Christian Academy scored a run in the top of the inning. The big hits were provided by senior leader Reagan Cowick who had a 3-4 day with 3 RBIs to lead the Stallions charge. The ladies added 5 more insurance runs to put this game away after a shortened 5 inning ball game. South Lake made it respectable with a big 5-run inning in the top of the fifth making it a 15-6 ball game, however, the Stallions scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to have the 10-run mercy rule come into effect ending the contest.
Adi Benton pitched 5 innings allowing 4 hits, a home run and 6 earned runs for the home team. She had 6 strikeouts and walked only 2 batters to get the win. Ava Sherard who pitched 4 innings for South Lake allowed 12 hits, but only 4 earned runs. She accumulated 7 strikeouts but allowed 5 base-on-balls along with some sloppy defensive play on the field, leading to her defeat and taking the loss.
Stallions Baseball Pounds Ravens 13-3
The Stallions ignited for 8 runs in the bottom of first inning to take a commanding lead against the Rocky River Ravens. The Ravens struck first scoring a run from starter Emmanuel Abreau who faced 6 batters allowing 2 walks, 1 hit, and striking out 2 batters. But the Stallions answered off of freshman starter Bryson Miller who was hit hard and did not have command of his pitches allowing 3 base-on-balls, 3 key hits and 2 extra-base hits before being relieved by freshman Breylin Berigious who shut down the Stallions offense for the next 3.0 innings.
However, in the home half or the fourth inning the Stallions exploded for 5 more runs to put this ball game out of reach. With the score 8-3, the Stallions delivered 4 hits and worked 2 walks to wear down the young reliever who registered 10 strikeouts in 4 innings of relief.
The Stallions offense was led by senior Julian Stegall who went 2-3 with a 2 RBIs and a double. Christian Bernash went 1-3 with an RBI, Emmanuel Abreau 1-3 with 2 RBIs, and Michael Azar went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs and a double. While junior Taybion Kinney went 1-1 and drew two walks with an RBI double for the Ravens.
Abreau gets the win for the Stallions to improve his record to 3-5 on the season with a 4.57 ERA in 31 innings of work on the mound.
