By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
The Washington Pam Pack earned a home playoff game for the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3A state softball playoffs.
Coach David Daniel and his Pam Pack (15-4), earning the No. 2 seed in the Coastal Conference, will play host to the Gray’s Creek Bears (12-12), the No. 5 seed from the Cape Fear Valley Conference. Today’s first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
The winner will play the survivor between Charles B. Aycock (19-4), the top seed from the Eastern Carolina Conference, and the Northeast Guilford Rams (12-13), a wild-card entry, in Friday’s second round.
Six area teams earned state playoff berths in the 1A classification. Southside, Bear Grass and Jamesville will all play at home, while Northside, Williamston and Columbia will be on the road.
Coach John Lohman’s Southside Seahawks (17-4) earned the top seed in the Atlantic Conference. The Seahawks will play host to the Columbia Wildcats (4-8), the third seed from the Tideland Conference, in today’s first-round action. The survivor will play the winner between the Camden Bruins (6-9), the Albemarle Conference No. 2 seed, and the Tar Roanoke Conference No. 4 seed North Edgecombe Warriors (6-7) in the second round.
The Bear Grass Bears (11-3) are the No. 2 seed in the Tideland Conference. Bear Grass will play host to the Northside Panthers (11-9), a wild-card entry out of the Atlantic Conference. Today’s winner will take on the survivor between Tar Roanoke top seed Gates County (16-4) and Albemarle Conference No. 3 seed Perquimans (5-11) in Friday’s second round.
Coach Richie Ange’s Jamesville Bullets (15-2) are the No. 1 seed out of the Tideland Conference. Jamesville will take on the Northampton-East Rams (4-8), a wild-card entry, at home in today’s first-round play. The winner will battle the survivor between the Princeton Bulldogs (12-6), the No. 2 seed in the Carolina Conference, and the Louisburg Warriors (9-8), the third seed out of the Tar Roanoke Conference.
The Williamston Tigers (13-7), the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Conference, will make the long haul to Dunn to face the Midway Raiders (15-6), the second seed from the Super Six Conference. Today’s winner will square off with the survivor between the East Carteret Mariners (19-2), the Coastal Plains Conference top seed, and the Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs (7-9), the fourth seed in the Super Six Conference.
NCISAA Softball
The Terra Ceia Knights qualified for the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A state softball playoffs.
Coach Ashley Harris and his Knights (10-10) earned the seventh seed for the playoffs, which starts today. The Knights will play at No. 2 seed Lawrence Academy (14-2) in the first-round game. Lawrence defeated Terra Ceia three times earlier this season.
The winner will play the survivor between No. 3 seed Cape Fear Christian Academy (15-2) and No. 6 seed Ridgecroft School (13-7) at 2 p.m. Friday in second-round action.
All second-round games and the finals will be held at Glover Park in Nashville.
SECOND-ROUND BASEBALL
Three area teams are still alive in the NCHSAA 1A state playoffs.
Williamston and Jamesville are playing at home, while Roanoke will be on the road.
The Williamston Tigers (16-7), the top seed in the Atlantic Conference and the fifth-ranked team in the Impact Baseball High School Poll, will play host to the Perquimans Pirates (14-8). The Pirates, the No. 2 seed from the Albemarle Conference, are ranked sixth in the Impact Baseball poll. Williamston pulled out an 8-7 win over Cape Hatteras in first-round action, while Perquimans pounded North Edgecombe, 21-0, in five innings.
The winner will play the survivor between the seventh-ranked Gates County Red Barons (16-5), the top seed from the Tar Roanoke Conference, and the Roanoke Redskins (5-18), the third seed in the Atlantic Conference, in Friday’s district play. Gates County earned a 13-12 win over Manteo and Roanoke pulled out a 3-2 victory over Bear Grass in the first round.
The Jamesville Bullets are the top seed in the Tideland Conference. Jamesville (17-2) will play host to the 10th-ranked Princeton Bulldogs (14-10), the second seed from the Carolina Conference. Jamesville topped Plymouth, 5-4, and Princeton earned a 15-0 nod over Northampton-East in first-round play. Today’s winner will face the survivor between Albemarle Conference top seed Camden (14-7) and the fourth-ranked Louisburg Warriors (19-4), the Tar Roanoke Conference No. 2 seed.
TENNIS
Washington’s tennis team will be in action today for the second round of the 3A Dual Team tournament.
The Pack (9-7), the No. 2 seed from the Coastal Conference, will play host to the Eastern Wayne Warriors (13-5), the second seed from the Eastern Carolina Conference.
The Pack topped Currituck, 9-0, and the Warriors knocked off White Oak, 7-2, in first-round play.
Today’s winner will take on the survivor between Eastern Carolina Conference top seed Charles B. Aycock (19-2) and Coastal Conference top seed D.H. Conley (15-4) in next week’s sectional-round action.