LENOIR CITY, TN – For the second consecutive year a run at a National Amateur Baseball Federation 17 & Under title was ended just two wins short for the North Chatham Palomino baseball team.

The Tar Heels fell to the NC Vipers out of Ohio 6-4 on a burning hot Saturday afternoon at Lenoir City High School just outside of Knoxville, TN.

It was an agonizing loss for North Chatham which held a 4-1 lead entering the 5^th before seeing the elite travel team from Ohio rally for two in the 5^th and three more in the 6^th to take the victory.

“It’s a tough loss to swallow because we were in control of the game and it was ours to win,” said North Chatham coach Barry Culberson. “We made some mental mistakes that cost us but you can’t fault the effort of the kids, they played hard in almost 100º temperatures that was hard on both teams, the fans, everyone involved.”

Culberson felt his club was oh so close to the win.

“We have a lot of depth pitching so I felt like it we had gotten to the next semi-finals later in the day we had a good shot since it would have been our 5^th game in three days. But it just wasn’t meant to be. We had a great bunch of kids though and to take 5^th place in a 32-team World Series with teams from all over the country says a lot about our kids and baseball in Chatham County and also the Greensboro Palomino Baseball League.”

The Tar Heels held onto a   4-1 lead entering the 5^th where the Vipers tallied a pair of runs, both of which were unearned. 

Ohio then tallied the three runs in the 6^th, all of which came after two when Nathan Polen collected an infield single to tie the game at 4-all and then Zach Mczlak belted a two-run single to left center to plate the eventual game-winning runs.

North Chatham has scoring chances in the 6^th, after a    Viper error, and in the 7^th, behind an infield single by Cody Beck and a single by Bradley Jeffries, but could not push the needed runs across.

ASHEBORO – Dan Moore of Bear Creek continues his winning streak on Saturday night at Caraway Speedway outside of Asheboro  by     winning one of the 75 lap Late Model Stock Twin events   during the Whelen $3 Fan Night event. 

 Moore also captured the Bud Pole Award for posting the fastest qualifying time.  Jimmy Wallace of Reedy Creek, Corey Strickland of Dunn, Travis Swaim of High Point, Jason York of Reidsville, Ryan Wilson of Randleman, Tony Black of Lexington, Pete Stewart of Archdale, Eddie York of Reidsville and Harrison Rhodes of High Point rounded out the top ten finishers. 
    Robert Tyler of Atlanta, GA was flagged the winner of one of the Late Model Stock events but was protested by York and Moore.  Tyler      refused to go to tech and was disqualified.  York was declared the winner.  Swaim, Moore Strickland, Rhodes, Black, Stewart, Wilson,     Wallace and E. York rounded out the top ten finishers.

    In the Limited Late Model event Ross Dalton of Climax captured the win.  Junior Kendrick of Archdale, Dean Lowder of Archdale, Noah Triplett of Lexington and Zack Moore of Troy rounded out the top five finishers.

    Other winners were Scottie York of Asheboro – Super Mini Truck, Ben Hanks of Lexington – Pure Stock and Derrick Thomas of Randleman – U-car.

    Friday Nights winners were Mack Little III – Sportsman, Luke Demis of Archdale, Daniel Hemric of Concord = Legends, Michael Worthington of High Point – Street Stock, Andrew Sanders of Mocksville – Mini Stock and Jimmy Wallace of Reedy Creek – Late Model Super Trucks.

    Coming up next weekend starts out on Friday night with the Sportsman, Street Stocks, Late Model Super Trucks, Legends and Mini Stocks.  On Saturday Night the Late Model Stocks will take to the track for 150 laps of action.   

Also on hand will be the Limited Late Models, Super Mini Trucks, U-cars and Pure Stocks.  Grandstands open at 6pm and the racing action gets underway at 8pm.

    For more information contact the speedway office at 336-629-5803.Directions:  Take US 220 Bypass to the Spero Road Exit and Follow the signs.  For additional information hit the web at www.carawayspeedway.com.

Here comes the throw...

North Chatham's Dell Bunnell awaits a throw to second base during Palomino baseball action.  The Tarheels traveled to Knoxville, TN over the weekend and captured its second consecutive 5th place finish at the NABF World Series.

MARYVILLE, TN – North Chatham plated three runs in the 1^st and never looked back on Thursday evening in taking a 6-3 victory over Gathersburg Post 295 of Maryland in second round action of the 2010 NABF 17 & Under World Series.

It was the second win of the day on Thursday in the       blistering heat that continued to blanket the Knoxville, TN area as well as the entire Southeastern United States.

“It was tough for these guys to turn right back around and to play again in this heat,” said North Chatham coach Barry Culberson. “But they responded and played well. Answering with those three runs in our first at-bat after Gaithersburg had scored a run in the top of the inning was key. It gave us the momentum back and kept the pressure on them throughout the game.”

Evan Dixon also kept the pressure on Gaithersburg as the right-hander scattered two hits and walked one in the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th innings while fanning four and keeping the Maryland American Legion squad off the board.

Issac Jones ignited the three-run uprising for the Tar Heels in the home half of the 1^st with a walk before Matt Wade singled to right and Jake Colyn collected an infield single.  Jones would score on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-all before Dalton Lindley would add a walk, Jeffries a sacrifice fly to plate Wade, and Dylan Davis a walk to force in another run to send NC up 3-1.