North Lenoir Secures Fourth Consecutive Third Round Appearance
WHEAT SWAMP, NC— North Lenoir High School continued their postseason success, securing a spot in the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs with a 3-1 victory over Ayden-Grifton. This marks the fourth consecutive year the Hawks have reached this stage, once again reminding the area of their postseason dominance.
"It feels great, man. I am super proud of these guys. They come out and work really hard and they have fun doing it," said North Lenoir coach Cam Sherrer, reflecting on his team's journey so far.
The #3 seed (20-4) Hawks faced a familiar opponent in #14 seed (16-10) Ayden-Grifton, having defeated them in last year's playoffs. Coach Sherrer acknowledged the intensity of the matchup.
"It was a tough matchup; we already knew that coming into it. We knew Ayden-Grifton had a bad taste in their mouth from losing to us in last year's playoffs and we knew they were going to give us their best."
The game saw significant contributions from key players. Senior Blake Crawford played a pivotal role, his second-inning solo home run tying the game and setting the stage for a North Lenoir rally.
"The pitcher was throwing a lot of breaking stuff, and we were really early on it. I just wanted to see his breaking stuff up, and he threw me a change up and I just sat back on it and crushed it," Crawford described his approach to his crucial at-bat.
Garrett Bryd delivered a strong start for the Hawks, pitching five innings while allowing only two hits and one earned run. Byrd picked up the win move his season record to an impressive 5-1. He was relieved by Eli Kearney, who closed the game with two hitless innings, adding three strikeouts to preserve the lead.
"Garrett pitched a great game, and Eli came in and shoved. That’s a good team, a really good team," Crawford added, praising his teammates' efforts.
Ayden-Grifton's senior pitcher, Josh Tripp, also had a commendable performance, striking out seven over 5.2 innings, but it wasn't enough to hold off North Lenoir's offense.
The Hawks capitalized on their opportunities. Jackson Jenkins who went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Mason Sasser, who went 1-for-3, driving in a run that extended the Hawks' lead 3-1 in the sixth inning.
Next up for the Hawks, North Lenoir will host #11 seed (15-10) Martin County. As they advance to the third round, the Hawks are looking to maintain their momentum and continue their pursuit of a state championship.
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