Sports

STANHOPE -- There's more to the art of softball pitching on the high school level than simply blowing batters away -- especially against a quality opponent. No matter how lofty their skill set, hurlers will eventually have to face the mental and physical challenges that come when taking on a top-notch foe -- intangibles such was working from behind in the count, pitching out of jams and keeping a mental toughness when one's performance might not be at 100 percent.

RED OAK -- Northern Nash went the extra-innings mile during two of its most defining victories this spring -- and both efforts helped result in a baseball championship for the Fighting Knights.
Flash back to the regular season, when Northern Nash overcame a huge deficit to force extras against Bunn -- and ended up winning the contest in walk-off fashion.

STANHOPE -- When Northern Nash defeated long-time power Southern Nash earlier in the season, it proved that the Lady Knights, after a brief dry spell, were on their way back toward their past status as one of the top girls soccer clubs in the solid Big East Conference.
Certainly, that was a signature win in Northern's renaissance, but a repeat decision over the Ladybirds?
That would undoubtedly show that the earlier conquest wasn't a fluke -- and that the best may be yet to come for the young Lady Knights' squad.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Between them, Nash Central and Bunn boast only five combined seniors, so the future definitely looks bright for both of the girls prep soccer programs in the always-strong Big East Conference.
But in the present, the Lady Bulldogs have an edge, as evidenced by their pair of decisions over the Ladycats this spring -- the latest of which came last Thursday at the NCHS Soccer Complex.

LOUISBURG -- From May 3-5, the Louisburg College softball program hosted the NJCAA Region X Regional Tournament at Sheilah R. Cotten Field on the LC campus.
Louisburg College , which maintained the #1 ranking throughout the season, swept its way through the competition to play in the Championship game last Saturday.
The Lady Hurricanes played against the #3-ranked Bryant & Stratton College in the title showdown.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Carolina Mudcats (19-7) opened their series against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (16-12) on Tuesday with a 4-1 victory in Fayetteville.
Mudcats starter, Manuel Rodriguez (W, 2-2), went seven strong innings only giving up 1 run and 3 hits.
The 7-inning performance is the deepest any Mudcats starter has gone in a game this season.
Rodriguez was perfect through 4.1 innings before Waner Luciano singled to center field to break up the perfect game.