WNC spring sports Week 11 top performers from first round of baseball, softball playoffs

Here are the Western North Carolina athletes who had top performances this week in spring sports.

This list is compiled from information provided to the Citizen Times (sports@citizentimes.com) or posted on MaxPreps or social media. It will be updated throughout the week.

Please encourage coaches to email submissions to sports@citizentimes.com.

Tuesday

Baseball

Carter Burnette, Asheville High: Burnette drove in three runs to lead the Cougars past Ardrey Kell, 7-1, in the first round of the 4A playoffs. He also struck out four in 3⅔ innings pitched, allowing three hits to earn the win.

Manning Stewart, Carolina Day: Stewart went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, leading the offense in a 15-5 mercy rule win over Statesville Christian in the NCISAA playoffs.

Sterling Haynes, Carolina Day: Haynes went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in two runs for the Wildcats.

Cade Caruso, Hayesville: Caruso drove in two runs, including a run in Hayesville's six-run sixth inning as they defeated Bethany Community in the first round of the 1A playoffs, 11-6.

Chance Hughes, Hayesville: Hughes went 3-for-4 and scored twice in the win.

CJ Burleson, Mountain Heritage: Burleson went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored to pace the Cougars' offense in a 7-0 win over Piedmont Community Charter in the first round of the 1A playoffs.

Lane Chandler, Mountain Heritage: Chandler threw a complete game shutout with three strikeouts and four hits allowed.

Braden Surrett, Pisgah: Surrett pitched six innings in relief after entering the game in the ninth inning of Pisgah's marathon 15-inning loss to Rockingham County, 4-3, in the 3A playoffs. He struck out six batters and gave up four hits in the loss, throwing 104 pitches in relief.

Zackary Wester, Pisgah: Wester pitched seven innings without allowing a run to help Pisgah reach extra innings, striking out nine and giving up seven hits.

Isaiah Mintz, Pisgah: Mintz went 3-for-5 and walked three times. He drove in the tying run in the top of the seventh inning.

Lawson Carter, Polk County: Carter homered in the first inning and drove in four runs on the day, delivering the Wolverines their first playoff win since 2019 in a 7-4 victory over South Stanly.

Luke Nesbitt, Reynolds: Nesbitt homered and drove in three runs at the plate and struck out four in four innings pitched in the 6-2 win over Hibriten in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Reno Jeter, Roberson: Jeter struck out eight batters over six innings, allowing two hits and no runs in a 6-0 win over Northern Guilford to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Jake Parham, Roberson: Parham homered in the third inning of the win.

Corey Stilwell, Swain County: Stilwell doubled and drove in two runs in the second inning of Swain County's 4-3 win over North Stokes in the first round of the 1A playoffs.

Will Holden, Swain County: Holden singled in the bottom of the seventh to bring home the walk-off run and send the Maroon Devils into the second round.

Kolt Nelson, Tuscola: Nelson went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs to help the Mountaineers beat Stuart W. Cramer by mercy rule, 11-1, in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Amos Rich, Tuscola: Rich struck out 10 batters, allowing two hits and one run in six innings. He also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Mason Coren, West Henderson: Coren pitched six innings in a 3-0 win over Asheboro, allowing just four hits and striking out two to send the Falcons onto the second round of the 3A playoffs.

Truitt Manuel, West Henderson: Manuel went 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate and struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning to earn the save.

Softball

Claire Wilson, Brevard: Wilson went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored to help Brevard engineer a comeback 7-2 win over Pine Lake Prep in the 2A playoffs.

Ava Rogers, Brevard: Rogers went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to help the Blue Devils move on to the second round.

Karly Presnell, Enka: Presnell struck out eight batters in seven innings, allowing only two hits to lead the Sugar Jets to a 1-0 win over North Lincoln in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Addie Sams, Madison: Sams doubled in the seventh, bringing home the go-ahead run and capping off Madison's comeback 4-3 upset win over West Davidson in the first round of the 2A playoffs.

Miranda Wall, McDowell: The catcher hit a two-run home run in the third inning of McDowell's 4-1 first round win over Northern Guilford, 4-1, in the 4A playoffs.

Sage Young, McDowell: Young went 3-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run in the Titans' win.

Layla Presnell, McDowell: Presnell pitched five innings, striking out six, walking four and giving up one hit to earn the win.

Layla Worley, Mountain Heritage: Worley drove in the tying run in the fifth inning and homered in the eighth to give the Cougars a lead, but they fell 4-3 to Swain County in the 1A playoffs.

Nevaeh Buchanon, Mountain Heritage: Buchanon struck out 11 batters in 8.1 innings pitched in the loss.

Paisley Johnson, Murphy: Johnson outdueled Gray Stone Day, striking out seven and allowing three hits in a 2-0 victory in the first round of the 1A playoffs.

Sadie Jo Hunter, North Buncombe: Hunter struck out 13 batters, allowed four hits and gave up one unearned run in the Black Hawks' 1-0 loss to Reynolds in the 3A playoffs.

Elly Wright, Owen: Wright's three RBIs help lead the Warlassies to a 5-1 win over Burns in the 2A playoffs.

Aubrey Treadway, Reynolds: Treadway struck out 10 batters and allowed two hits to outduel North Buncombe in a 1-0 win in the first round of the 3A playoffs.

Kayla Doughty, Reynolds: Doughty drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to secure the upset.

Sophie Roberts, Robbinsville: Roberts hit a home run and drove home three in Robbinsville's 15-0 win three-inning win to move onto the second round of the 1A playoffs.

Sydney Adams, Robbinsville: Adams drove in three runs on a single in the Black Knights' 12-run first inning.

Rylee Rawls, Swain County: Rawls struck out 11 batters in nine innings in the circle, allowing eight hits and three runs. She also went 3-for-5 and scored the walk off run in the bottom of the ninth to beat Mountain Heritage, 4-3, in the first round of the 1A playoffs.

Makena Henderson, West Henderson: The catcher went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as part of the Falcons' 10-run third inning. West Henderson beat Stuart W. Cramer 10-0 in five innings to move to the second round of the 3A playoffs.

Harper Sikorski, West Henderson: Sikorski went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs for the Falcons.

Girls soccer

Caroline Bridges, Asheville School: Bridges scored four goals as Asheville School beat Concord Academy, 8-0, in the first round of the NCISAA playoffs.

Abby Huter, Brevard: Huter saved 14 shots against Polk County, but the Wolverines won 2-1.

Emma Ledford, Murphy: Ledford made 15 saves in 100 minutes of regulation and overtime play to help the Bulldogs earn a 1-1 tie with Highlands.

Carolina Taylor, Polk County: Taylor scored the winner in the 84th minute of Polk County's 2-1 upset victory over Brevard.

Lidia Fiore, Roberson: Fiore made five saves to shut out Reynolds, 2-0, and help Roberson clinch a share of the Mountain Athletic Conference title.

Julia Wells, Tuscola: Wells saved eight shots to preserve her eighth shutout win of the season, helping Tuscola beat Smoky Mountain 1-0.

Lauren Clonch, West Henderson: Clonch's hat trick helped lead West Henderson to a 9-0 win over Frankin.

Allison Justus, West Henderson: Justus added on to the Falcons' win with two goals and two assists.

Monday

Girls soccer

Caitlin Shapiro, Avery County: Shapiro scored a brace to help lead the Vikings past Mitchell, 4-0.

Kai'ana Stella, Mountain Heritage: The freshman scored two goals, but the Cougars fell 3-2 to Draughn.

Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: WNC high school spring sports Week 11 top performers