Chatham Charter’s baseball and softball teams finished as runner ups in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournaments. Here’s a recap for both teams and the moments leading up to the championship games:
Baseball
No. 1 Chatham Charter fell to No. 3 Clover Garden School 6-2 in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament championship on May 1.
The Knights, who swept Clover Garden in the regular season, recorded three more hits than the Grizzlies. However, Clover Garden cashed in on its hits at the right moments.
Up 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning with one out, Clover Garden set up bases loaded with back-to-back walks and a single from sophomore Brice Stanfield. Senior Gabe Kistler followed with a double to left field, sending all three base runners home.
Prior to that sequence, a walk and an error by the Knights’ defense in the top of the second inning set up a scoring opportunity for junior Brayden DeAlto, who knocked in junior Kam Foster with a single. Senior Gabe Kistler followed immediately by grounding into the fielder’s choice which allowed Stanfield to score and give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead.
Both teams failed to score from that point on. DeAlto got the win on the mound for the Grizzlies with five strikeouts, two earned runs and 68 strikes out of 106 pitches.
Chatham Charter had no trouble with No. 4 Triangle Math and Science in the semifinals, winning that game 10-0.
Junior Tyner Williams had a productive day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs. Senior Zach Cartrette went 2-for-3 with a team-high four RBIs.
Junior Brandon Rives, who started and earned the win, and senior Luke Johnson combined for 10 strikeouts and just one hit in five innings.
Softball
No. 1 Clover Garden recorded 11 hits in a 14-0 victory over No. 2 Chatham Charter in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament final on May 1.
Clover Garden’s Brandi Markham went 3-for-4 from the plate, recorded a team-high three runs and combined with Cadence Collins for seven RBIs. Collins hit two home runs, and Gracie Hensley also homered.
Markham’s impact was also felt on the mound. In the five innings needed to win, she allowed only three hits to the Knights.
Chatham Charter also didn’t help themselves defensively as it committed five errors. Four errors by the Knights in the bottom of the third inning helped the Grizzlies extend their turn and score eight runs.
This was the Knights’ second largest loss of the season and their largest defeat to Clover Garden, who they lost the season series with 3-1. Chatham Charter beat Clover Garden 7-4 on April 24 despite committing seven errors that night. The Grizzlies got revenge for last season when Chatham Charter beat them 8-6 in the conference tournament title.
Before the title game, Chatham Charter took down No. 3 River Mill Academy in the semifinals 5-1. The Knights held the Jaguars without a run until the top of the seventh inning.