Patriots secure regular season title with win over Vikings

The perennial Pinecrest Patriots secured their sixth-straight regular season conference title on Thursday; they secured the final SAC regular season title after sweeping Union Pines in back-to-back contests.

For head coach Jeff Hewitt, the wins are a result of a foundation built with a strong baseball culture. “We try challenging them every day to be a little bit better,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt, along with his coaching staff and school support, has found ways to compete against anyone. That wasn’t always the case. “When I first got to Pinecrest in 1999, I wasn’t really sure how we were going to beat the Scottlands and how we would beat the Richmonds...” he said. “But now we have gotten to that upper echelon that every team is playing us tough.” And it starts with relationships. “We want them to know we love them; we care for them. And I truly believe that kids want that,” Hewitt said. “For me, as a coach, it means more than a win. We are building young men, and we really are trying to prepare them to be great young men. Baseball is a great sport to teach all that.”

Pinecrest gets the sweep with a 9-2 victory. The Patriots secured the win in the sixth inning with three runs. They scored two in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth. William Chopping secured the win for the victors, pitching five innings and striking out six batters while giving up four hits and two runs. Andrew Kirk closed out the contest. Offensively, Reynolds was 3-of-4 at the plate with two runs, two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Other offensive leaders for the visiting Pinecrest squad included JC Woolard, who went 3-of-5 with a run and an RBI; Chopping was 2-for-3, with two runs and two doubles; Bryson Pattington, was 2-of-4 with three RBIs, and David Wiley, was 2-of-4 with an RBI.

Patriot sliding into second in the second inning.

Photo by Sarah Bloom

Union Pines scored in the bottom of the second and fourth innings; the team had six hits and two errors. Leading the Vikings at the plate was Preston Whitaker, who also led Union Pines at the plate, going 2-for-2 to score the teams two runs.

For the Vikings on the slab, Joey Ring took the loss, striking out five while surrendering 11 hits, six runs and walking two.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The Vikings ended the regular season at home in a non-conference contest against Montgomery Central with a 5-2 win. The Vikings end the regular season 9-13 overall and 3-9 in the conference. They will travel to Lee County on Monday for the first round of the SAC tournament.

The Patriots ended their regular season Friday on the road at Central Davidson with a 5-4 win. They head into post season 17-7 overall and 10-2 in the conference. Their first conference tournament opponent is yet to be decided.

Look for a post season preview to be available on Sunday.

Written and photos by Sarah Bloom.