Regular season ends with thrilling victory
Robbinsville – The Black Knights hosted their first playoff game since moving onto Loudon Orr Memorial Field on Tuesday, fanning the North Stokes Vikings 8-0.
In just its second postseason appearance since 2011, Robbinsville (No. 6 seed, 10-9) dominated. The combination of Luke Lovin (who improved to 5-1 with the victory) and Peyton Brooks combined to throw an 87-pitch, one-hitter, striking out seven North Stokes (No. 11, 5-20) hopefuls along the way.
At the plate, the Black Knights got to work right away. Rylen Orr singled home Evan Menard in the bottom of the first, before Brooks doubled to welcome in courtesy runner Ayden Conley.
Menard connected to plate Everett Taylor in the bottom of the third, before Xamuel Wachacha scored on a Bnton Gibby RBI single in the fourth. Two batters later, Luke Lovin singled to usher across Gibby and Menard.
Robbinsville's tacked on another run for good measure in the fifth, when Deacon Hyde drove in pinch runner Zander Davis.
The win sets up a second-round pairing between two Smoky Mountain Conference programs. The Knights will make the short trip to Andrews (No. 3, 20-2) on Friday, after the Wildcats routed South Davidson (No. 11, 6-19) 16-6 at Valley River Park.
A start time had not been announced by The Graham Star's Wednesday press deadline.
Time for a Dog nap
Robbinsville carried a slew of momentum into the playoffs after defeating Murphy (8-12) in the regular-season finale April 30, 5-4.
The Knights overcame an early 2-0 deficit by manufacturing runs. Davis sprinted home on an error in the bottom of the second, before the Bulldogs snatched the run back on an RBI single from Konner Dockery that plated Colton Morgan.
Robbinsville pulled ahead 5-3 in the fifth. With one out, Menard singled to score Taylor. Gibby followed by scoring on an error, before Orr grounded out to bring in Menard. Lovin went on to score on another Murphy error before the inning concluded.
Nathan Skogen roped a hit to bring around Peyton Bain in the sixth, but that's as close as the Dogs would come. In the seventh, Aayden Williams reached third with two outs – but inexplicably broke for the plate and into a rundown. Brooks completed the 2-6-1 putout by tagging out Williams as he slid for the dish, clinching the win.