LAURINBURG — The second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A baseball and softball playoffs are set. Teams will play tonight and Saturday, depending on what the two teams decide.
The Fighting Scots discovered they will play the No. 1 seed in the East — J.H. Rose on Saturday, May 13 at 6 p.m. in Greenville. J.H. Rose faced off with No. 32 South View in the first round and walked off the field with a 4-1 victory.
On the mound for the Rampants was junior Hunter Christopher, who threw all seven innings allowing one run off three hits with one walk, one error and six strikeouts. Christopher will most likely be ineligible to pitch against the Scots one Saturday given the NCHSAA pitch count rules — unless Christopher threw less than 76 pitches. Under the new rules if the Rampants pitcher threw more than 76 pitches in Wednesday’s game he is required to have four days of rest before he can pitch again and Saturday would only be three days.
The Scots pitching staff will be full rested for Saturday’s second-round game. With junior Matthew Hyatt out for the rest of the season, Scots head coach Chad Hill still has a good number of pitchers at his disposal. Junior Daly Marcano has started for the Scots in their last two games. Marcano threw five innings on Tuesday allowing two runs off seven hits with two strikeouts. In recent games, the Scots have put several freshman on the mound — Jackson Purcell, Michael Johnson and lefty Matthew Sellers — along with juniors Grant Burleson and Austin Norton and senior Justin Bowers.
Heading into the game, J.H. Rose has a 21-3 overall record and is the No. 2 team in the state according to MaxPreps while the Scots are sporting a respectable 19-7 overall record and are ranked 59th in the state.
The Scots and No. 9 Pinecrest are the only two Southeastern conference schools to advance to the second round of the 4A baseball playoffs.
On the softball diamond, the SEC has three teams advancing to the second round, No. 22 Hoke County, No. 9 Lumberton and No. 2 Richmond. Hoke and Lumberton will meet for the fifth time tonight at 6 p.m. on the East side of the bracket while Richmond hosts No. 14 Providence at 6 p.m. tonight in the West.
4A BASEBALL
EAST
No. 1 J.H. Rose vs. No. 14 Scotland
No. 10 Heritage vs. No. 25 Millbrook
No. 6 Garner Magnet vs. No. 11 Cardinal Gibbons
No. 15 South Central vs. No. 4 Holly Springs
No. 3 Jordan vs. No. 16 Fuquay – Varina
MID-EAST
No. 9 Pinecrest vs. No. 7 Leesville Road
No. 5 Cape Fear vs. No. 19 Jack Britt
No. 12 Middle Creek vs. No. 2 New Hanover
WEST
No. 1 T.C. Roberson vs. No. 15 Alexander Central
No. 7 Hough vs. No. 10 North Davidson
No. 5 Providence vs. No. 13 A.L. Brown
No. 12 Myers Park vs. No. 4 Southwest Guilford
MID-WEST
No. 3 Southeast Guilford vs. No. 14 Ardrey Kell
No. 11 East Forsyth vs. No. 6 South Caldwell
No. 27 Mooresville vs. No. 9 David W. Butler
No. 16 Ronald Reagan vs. No. 2 Lake Norman
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4A SOFTBALL
EAST
No. 1 Cape Fear vs. No. 15 South View
No. 22 Hoke County vs. No. 9 Lumberton
No. 3 South Central vs. No. 12 Apex
No. 14 West Johnston vs. No. 7 Holly Springs
MID-EAST
No. 4 Southern Alamance vs. No. 18 Green Hope
No. 11 Panther Creek vs. No. 5 Garnder Magnet
No. 29 Middle Creek vs. No. 10 D.H. Conley
No. 13 East Chapel Hill vs. No. 2 Heritage
WEST
No. 1 Alexander Central vs. No. 17 Southeast Guilford
No. 23 West Forsyth vs. No. 5 Southwest Guilford
No. 7 South Caldwell vs. No. 20 Hopewell
No. 21 Page vs. No. 3 North Davidson
MID-WEST
No. 2 Richmond vs. No. 14 Providence
No. 11 Davie vs. No. 8 David W. Butler
No. 4 A.L. Brown vs. No. 10 Mooresville
No. 19 Hough vs. No. 6 Charlotte Catholic
Amber Hatten can be reached at 910-506-3170.