THOMASVILLE
Ashton Lover pitched into the sixth inning and Charlotte Ardrey Kell took advantage of a mediocre night for North Davidson in a 6-3 victory last night that evened the NCHSAA's Class 4-A Western Regional championship series at one game each.
Ardrey Kell (24-7) will play at North (15-12) in the deciding game of the series on Monday at 6 p.m. in Welcome. The winner will play for the state championship next weekend near Raleigh.
Last night's game was moved to Finch Field in Thomasville because North's field was saturated by the recent rains. And Ardrey Kell, trying to return to the state-championship series for the second straight year, took advantage of a big error in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead and rode the arm of Lover to the victory.
Lover pitched 52/3 innings, allowing only four hits and with nine strikeouts and one earned run. Alex Bartolomeo of Ardrey Kell was 3 for 4 with a double and scored two runs.
"I liked the bounce back, although we left a lot of runners tonight and we had some opportunities to really get a bigger margin, but we didn't," Coach Hal Bagwell of Ardrey Kell said, adding that his team performed much better than it did during a 6-1 loss to North on Friday. "It may be that we were pressing a little bit trying to get the dagger in there, but a win is a win and we'll take it.
"Ashton Lover has been big for us all year, He has a little velocity, he has a good change-up and he mixes it pretty well. He pounds the zone and pitches to contact."
Starter Zach Joyce of North Davidson had two outs and two runners on in the third when he induced a ground ball to shortstop from Rico Pasut. But Landon Lassiter, North's standout freshman shortstop, committed an error that eventually led to three runs.
By the time North scored their first two runs, in the sixth, they trailed 6-0.
"Huge, it was huge," Coach Mike Meadows of North said of the error. "But he has made great plays for us, and he will make a bunch of great ones to come. That error cost us a couple of runs, but the Ashton Lover kid was outstanding. Great arm action, great breaking ball, great change-up. They are a dangerous team and they keep rolling kids out that can throw."
Cody Atkins was 2 for 4 for North with two doubles, but the rest of North's lineup struggled against Lover. Alex Wood, Ardrey Kell's big left-hander who has already committed to Georgia, relived Lover in the sixth, but pitched to only two batters before he pulled himself from the game.
Bagwell said that Wood's arm was fine and he planned to start on Monday night.
Meadows said that he wondered if Woods arm was still tender from pitching last Tuesday in a win over South Caldwell. And Meadows also said he was excited about playing at home on Monday.
"I want to get home, because when they come up with his series you play all year long to get home-field advantage," Meadows said. "They have played as many games here as we have. When we get back to North Davidson and Welcome and the kids come out and we are there, familiar with it, it's a home-field advantage. We have played two games on the road we finally get to go home all square.
"And if the big lefthander doesn't come back, I think we are good and I like our chances."
Meadows said that Jordan Ramsey would start on the mound for North Davidson on Monday.
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com.
A. Kell 003 201 0 -- 6 9 1
N. Davidson 000 002 1 -- 3 5 2
Lover, Wood (6), Forst (6) and Patterson. Joyce, Secrest (3) and Sullivan. WP – Lover. LP – Secrest. 2B – Bartholomeo (AK), Stetson (AK), Atkins (ND) 2.
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