May 29—FAYETTEVILLE — The Lumberton wrestling team finished off a perfect Sandhills Athletic Conference slate with a pair of wins Thursday in Fayetteville.
Lumberton (13-1, 7-0 SAC) defeated Seventy-First 57-12 and Purnell Swett 57-9 in a tri-meet.
The meet marked the last SAC matches for Lumberton and Purnell Swett as the schools prepare to realign to the United-8 Conference next season.
The Pirates finish their regular season slate next Friday at home against West Forsyth and Cardinal Gibbons.
Lumberton, Richmond trade wins
The Lumberton and Richmond baseball teams each won one game when the teams met on back-to-back nights Thursday and Friday.
Friday in Rockingham, Richmond overcame a five-run deficit to win 10-8.
Lumberton (6-3, 5-3 SAC) scored five runs in the first inning before Richmond (4-6, 4-6 SAC) scored six in the third for a 6-5 lead.
The Raiders scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth; the Pirates scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh in the loss.
In Thursday’s game in Lumberton, after a high-scoring first inning it was a pitcher’s duel the rest of the way as Lumberton won 3-2.
All five runs were scored in the first inning.
Richmond had RBI hits from Matthew Walker and Hunter Hancock in the top of the first.
Lumberton had the bases loaded with one out in the first after Hayden Hunt walked, Samuel Beck singled and Bobby Baxley was hit by a pitch. Hunt scored on a wild pitch before Beck and Baxley came home on an error for the 3-2 lead.
Garret Smith (3-1) earned the win, striking out six with one walk and six hits allowed in seven innings. Will Dawkins took the loss for Richmond, allowing one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk.
Beck and Jacob Scott had Lumberton’s two hits.
The game’s final out came when a Richmond baserunner was thrown out at the plate after trying to tag up on a flyout.
The teams play again Friday in Rockingham.
Purnell Swett splits twin bill with Independence
The Purnell Swett baseball team won one game and lost one Thursday in a nonconference doubleheader against visiting Independence.
The Patriots won 13-2 in the first game and the Rams took the second 12-6.
In the opener, Independence (5-5) scored six runs over the first three innings and six runs over the last two.
The Rams (6-4) were held to three hits by Independence’s Carson Gesing, who had 13 strikeouts; Cameron Fields, Kylan Ransom and Ehtan Wilkens had the hits for Purnell Swett.
Ransom and Wilkens each had one run and one RBI.
In the second game, Purnell Swett overcame an early 4-0 deficit by scoring in each of its last five turns at-bat in a 12-6 win.
Ransom had Zac Strickland each had three hits and Keithyn Hunt and Mason Locklear each had two in the nightcap. Hunt had four RBIs and Strickland and Ransom each had two. Wilkens scored four runs and Hunt and Ransom each scored twice.
Hunt pitched the first six innings, with 10 strikeouts and one walk, allowing six runs on seven hits. Will Brooks pitched the final inning, with three strikeouts and one hit allowed.
The Rams resume SAC play Tuesday when they host Hoke County.
In other local baseball action Thursday, Whiteville defeated Fairmont 6-1.
Rams tennis sweeps Hoke County
The Purnell Swett girls tennis team earned two wins over Hoke County Thursday.
The Rams defeated the Bucks 5-4 and 6-3 in a doubleheader.
In the first match, Raven Cummings/Sydney Brooks and Juri Jones/Kylie Kirby got key doubles wins for the Rams.
In the nightcap, Purnell Swett won all three doubles matches after the match was tied 3-3 after singles.
Cynthia Locklear and Peyten Jones each earned their first career wins.
The Rams trio of Brooks, Jones and Kirby combined to go 12-0 on the day.