Lakewood High School was the host of a trio of Carolina 1A Conference battles on Thursday night as the the Princeton Bulldogs travelled to Roseboro to tangle with the Leopards. For Lakewood, baseball was the only bright spot of the night as the Leopards took home a 4-1 win over Princeton, while softball and soccer took big losses, 12-0 and 9-0, respectively.
Baseball
The Leopards entered Thursday’s matchup with the Bulldogs on a two game winning streak and, now riding a new wave of momentum, were looking for more.
The first two and half inning were scoreless until the Leopards generated a small spurt of runs in the bottom of the third. With one run already scored, Aaron Butler hit a shot into the outfield that score Jamie Sessoms and Trent Tanner to make it 3-0.
Then in the fourth, Dawson Batts hit a single that scored Trey White to make it 4-0.
Princeton was able to earn back one run in the top of the fifth when Jacob Edens scored Will Gurganious on a single, making it 4-1, but that would be all the scoring for the game as Lakewood held on for the win.
Leading the way for the Leopards was Butler with three hits followed by Jamie Sessoms and Batts with two hits each. White, Tanner, and Logan Henderson all had one hit apiece, totaling 10 on the game for the Leopards.
“We played great today,” said Lakewood head coach Jay Faircloth. “I mean, we’re finally hitting the ball. We changed the lineup last week for Union, and it’s unorthodox, but it’s working.”
“Our defense is good, and our pitching is where it needs to be and the whole team did well tonight. Aaron Butler had an amazing game from the mound and in the box going 3-for-3. We take one game at a time and that’s how my boys play: one game at a time,” Faircloth concluded.
Butler certainly did turn in a solid performance on the mound indeed. The senior went the distance, recording 10 strikeouts and giving up just one walk and one run through seven innings.
With the win, the Leopards are now 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Carolina 1A Conference play.
Lakewood has an intriguing matchup coming up on Tuesday when the travel to take on Lakewood.
Soccer
It was a blistering pace over on the soccer field – a pace that the Lady Leopards just couldn’t keep up with. The Lady Bulldogs cashed in an overwhelming performance that dismantled Lakewood in a lopsided 9-0 defeat.
For Princeton, senior Rachel Creech gave the Lady Leopards a fit as she recorded three goals to lead her team. Meanwhile, Veronica Blackmen was also a thorn in Lakewood’s size as she noted two goals and an assist of her own. Ruthie Hester, Ruthie Zieverink, Cabrea Pettiway, and Katie Beth Leslie all contributed one goal apiece.
With the loss, the Lady Leopards soccer team falls to 0-6-2 overall and 0-5 in the Carolina 1A Conference. They, too, will travel to Hobbton on Tuesday.
Softball
Stats and scoring wasn’t immediately available after the game as Lakewood fell 12-0. Princeton’s scoring was slow and methodical out of the gate but the Lady Bulldogs gradually picked up the pace. When all was said and done, Princeton built it’s lead to 12-0 headed to the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Lakewood was able to get two base runners aboard, but an amazing diving-catch by Princeton’s catcher ended the game as the Lady Leopards stranded the two runners.
With the loss, Lakewood sits at 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Carolina 1A Conference. They will travel to Hobbton on Tuesday.
