In a dominant pitching performance in Game of the 5A Eastern Regionals, the West Carteret Patriots defeated the top-seeded Southeast Alamance Stallions 5-0 on Tuesday night. Senior Caitlin Dumarce delivered a complete-game no-hitter, striking out 17 batters to lead the Patriots to a stunning road victory.

West Carteret (now 22-4) erupted for three runs in the fourth inning and added single tallies in the sixth and seventh to secure the shutout. Southeast Alamance (26-2), despite entering as one of the state’s top teams, was held hitless the entire contest.

Box Score Breakdown

• West Carteret: 5 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors
• Southeast Alamance: 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error

Standout Performances

Caitlin Dumarce (Sr) was unstoppable on the mound for West Carteret. The senior threw all 7 innings, allowing zero hits and zero runs while walking 4 and striking out 17 on just 104 pitches. She faced the minimum in several frames and completely neutralized Southeast Alamance’s potent lineup.

Offensively, the Patriots collected 10 hits, including four doubles:

• Morgan Sawyer (So): 3-for-5, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 double
• Isabella Turner (So): 2-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double
• K. Margoupis (Jr): 1-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 double
• E. Rodriguez (Sr): 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 double

West Carteret also drew 5 walks and played flawless defense with zero errors.

For Southeast Alamance, freshman Maiya Woody took the loss in the circle, going the full 7 innings and allowing 10 hits and 5 runs (2 earned). She struck out 8 but couldn’t contain West Carteret’s timely hitting. The Stallions struck out 17 times as a team and left 4 runners on base.

In a tightly contested NCHSAA 7A playoff matchup, the host D.H. Conley Vikings defeated the visiting Cleveland Rams by a score of 2-1. The low-scoring affair highlighted elite pitching and defensive resilience on both sides.

D.H. Conley (now 23-1) improved to an impressive record and extended their winning streak, while Cleveland (19-3) saw their strong season come to an end in the playoffs.

Standout Performances

Pitching Junior Kendall Howard was outstanding for D.H. Conley, throwing a complete 7-inning game. She allowed just 4 hits and 1 unearned run, walking 3 while striking out 13 batters on 125 pitches. Her ERA for the game was a perfect 0.00.

For Cleveland, senior Karsyn Hudacky also went the distance, pitching 6 innings. She surrendered 7 hits and 2 runs (1 earned), walking 1 and striking out 9 on 100 pitches.

Key Hitters For D.H. Conley:

• Taylor Getsinger (Sr): 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 double
• Ava Gaddis (Sr): 1-for-2
• Brooke Rose (Fr) and Anna Rose (Fr): Each had a hit and a run scored
• Harper Bradley and Sarah Booth: Added hits

The Vikings were aggressive on the bases with 6 stolen bases.

Cleveland's offense was led by:

• Izzy Sholar (Sr): 1-for-3, 1 run scored
• Avery Morgan (Sr): 1-for-4 with a double
• Maddie Murphy, Molly Pardue, and Abi Posey: Each recorded a hit

Cleveland left 12 runners on base, struggling to cash in on opportunities.

Season Context

This victory marked D.H. Conley's ninth straight win and advanced them in the 7A bracket. The Vikings entered as one of the top teams in the state. Cleveland, despite the loss, finished with an excellent 19-3 record and had been riding a long winning streak prior to the game.

Looking Ahead

D.H. Conley continues their deep playoff run with momentum on their side. For the Cleveland Rams, the 2026 season ends with many positives — a strong conference record and competitive showing against top competition. The program looks poised for continued success in future years.

The New Bern Bears' historic 2026 softball season came to an end Friday night at home, as the third-seeded Heritage Huskies from Wake Forest handed the second-seeded Bears a 7-2 defeat in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 7A playoffs.

Heritage jumped on top early and never looked back, plating runs in the first four innings to build an insurmountable 7-0 lead. New Bern managed single runs in the sixth and seventh but could not mount a comeback against a stingy Heritage pitching effort.

Standout Performances for Heritage

Freshman pitcher Scarlett Ellis delivered a complete-game gem, tossing all 7 innings. She allowed just 4 hits and 2 earned runs while walking 3 and striking out an impressive 15 New Bern batters on 121 pitches. Her dominance kept the Bears' potent offense in check all night.

At the plate, several Huskies delivered:

• Senior Janiah Vargas went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, including a home run and a double.
• Sophomore Gianna DeVerna added 2 hits and 4 RBIs, including a homer.
• Senior Hayden Callahan collected 3 hits in 4 at-bats.

The Huskies finished with 9 hits total, including 2 doubles and 2 home runs, while drawing 5 walks. They also played error-free ball.

Season Context

The loss snapped a strong five-game winning streak for New Bern and ended their deepest playoff run in program history. The Bears entered the game with a stellar 19-3 overall record (8-2 in the Big Carolina 6A/7A Conference) and were ranked among the top teams in the state. They had just defeated rival South Central to advance to the fourth round for the first time.

Heritage improved to 22-2 on the season and continued a dominant postseason showing. The Huskies now advance in the 7A bracket.

The J.H. Rose Rampants advanced in the NCHSAA 6A playoffs with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the visiting Triton Hawks on Friday night at home. In a low-scoring pitchers' duel, the Rampants (now 19-7) used timely hitting and strong defense to eliminate Triton (18-9).

Triton struck first with a run in the second inning, but J.H. Rose answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Rampants added an insurance run in the sixth to secure the win.

Standout Performances

Pitching Duel Sophomore Michelle Jenkins delivered a complete-game victory for J.H. Rose, pitching all 7 innings. She allowed just 4 hits and 1 earned run, walking 4 while striking out 7 on 104 pitches. Her control and ability to limit damage were crucial in the playoff atmosphere.

Triton's freshman Kaylee Clark went the distance in a strong effort, allowing 5 hits and 3 earned runs with 2 strikeouts and 4 walks on 71 pitches.

Key Hitters for J.H. Rose

• Aniyah Hardy (So): 2-for-3, 1 RBI
• Clara Allen (Jr): 2-for-3, 1 RBI
• Riley Shaw (So): 1-for-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, triple, and a walk

The Rampants were efficient at the plate with 5 hits and drew 4 walks while committing no errors in the field. They also stole 4 bases.

Triton was led offensively by Paisley Lucas (2-for-4, 1 RBI) and Addie Stanley (1-for-3, double). The Hawks left 7 runners on base.