Playoffs are underway in boys’ tennis, as well as boys’ and girls’ lacrosse. Baseball and softball are joining the NCHSAA postseason this week. Here’s a look at how the area teams are doing in the brackets.
Boys’ tennis
Pinecrest and Union Pines both won their NCHSAA playoff openers, while North Moore got a first-round bye, meaning all three area teams were still alive as of the start of this week, which saw second-round action take place after press time.
North Moore, the No. 10 seed in 1A faced No. 7 Chatham Charter (12-6).
No. 5 Pinecrest advanced via forfeit past No. 28 Garner. The Patriots now face No. 12 Broughton.
No. 10 Union Pines beat No. 23 Franklinton by a 5-4 score and now face No. 7 Cape Fear.
Boys’ Lacrosse
In boys’ lacrosse state playoff action, Pinecrest earned a first-round bye in 4A. The No. 6 seed Patriots then fell to No. 11 Athens Drive, 11-10, to end their season. Pinecrest led 4-0 after the first period but couldn’t withstand an Athens rally.
Union Pines also drew a first-round bye in 3A. The No. 4 Vikings then topped No. 13 Swansboro in the second round to move on to a date with No. 5 Carrboro in the round of 16. Union Pines jumped out to a 6-0 lead after one period, then managed to cruise to a 12-8 win over Swansboro.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The Pinecrest girls are into the 4A Sweet 16. The No. 6 Patriots had a first-round bye, then got past No. 11 Laney, 12-11, their sixth win in a row. Allie Hirst had six goals and an assist, while Peyton Page added four goals and three assists in the win. Pinecrest moves on to face No. 3 Chapel Hill.
Union Pines is also in the round of 16, at the 1A/2A/3A level. The Vikings got a first round bye as the top seed, then hammered No. 16 Havelock, 27-0. Freshman Makenzie Burnham (1 save) and junior Isabelle Bonillo (2 saves) split time in goal and ended up with a combined shutout. Next up is No. 8 Seaforth.
Baseball
At 13-7, 9-6 I the Mid-Carolina Conference, North Moore got a bid to the state playoffs in the 1A bracket. The No. 9 seed Mustangs face No. 24 East Columbus (9-9).
Pinecrest drew a No. 4 seed in 4A, on the strength of a 21-4 record and 11-1 Sandhills record, good for a regular season title. The Patriots open with No. 29 Green Hope (12-12).
At 10-14, 4-8 in the Sandhills, Union Pines did not receive a bid from the NCHSAA. The team says goodbye to seniors Chandler Ring, Austin Mooring, Grey Booker and Tyler Lewis,
Softball
North Moore enters the NCHSAA playoffs with an 11-9 record, 10-5 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. The Mustangs earned a No. 20 seed in 1A and open with No. 13 Northside – Pinetown (15-4).
Union Pines received a No. 14 seed at 3A after finishing the regular season with a 15-7 record, 9-3 in the Sandhills. The Vikings open with No. 19 Cedar Ridge (12-7-1)
At 2-16, 0-12 in the Sandhills, Pinecrest’s season is over. The NCHSAA passed the Patriots over for a bid, ending the high school careers of seniors Raven Ross-Gillespie, Nakia Collins, Maggie Drake and Anjali Williams.
