money Here's how North Gaston baseball avenged last year's loss in Gaston Easter tourney final
GASTONIA — North Gaston baseball got exactly what it wanted.
A year after taking it on the chin against East Gaston in the Gaston County Easter Tournament final, the Wildcats exacted a measure of revenge Thursday with an 11-3 win at Sims Legion Park.
“We look at this as a tournament in the middle of the season, an opportunity to be Gaston County champs,” said North Gaston coach Wes Hepler. “There’s 35 years of this tournament, a lot of history here. It’s important to the people of Gaston County and it’s important to us. So whenever we get a chance to lift that trophy in the air it feels good.”
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It is North Gaston’s first tournament title since 2018. The Wildcats’ seven championships are second all-time, trailing only South Point, which has eight.
Pitchers Caleb Cloninger and Wyatt McSwain started North Gaston’s tournament on a good note, combining for a no-hitter in a 10-0 win over Highland Tech. Things wouldn’t come as easily the following day, the Wildcats getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to earn an 11-10 victory over South Point.
North Gaston (12-5) ensured drama would be in short supply on Thursday, scoring the game’s first six runs. Such would be more than enough for Cloninger, who allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts. The sophomore left-hander was named tournament MVP.
“It feels good. Last year, making it to the championship and losing 7-0 was no good. So this year we wanted to come back stronger,” he said. “Working a three-pitch mix, four-pitch mix; hitting the strike zone was important.”
Added Hepler: “(Cloninger) was mesmerizing. He’s a sophomore in his first year on varsity and just comes out and pitches his game.”
Carter Mason led North Gaston by going 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Carter Wright finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Houston Rector was also 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.
Dylan Howell was one of the few bright spots for East Gaston (11-6), going 3-for-3 with an RBI.
Shelby Easter Tournament
Kings Mountain 3, Burns 2: Kings Mountain scored runs in the sixth and seventh innings to rally for its second straight Shelby Easter Tournament title.
A Burns error in the sixth allowed the Mountaineers to tie the game. Two walks to start the seventh helped kickstart things for Kings Mountain (14-2), with Colton Mayes’ two-out hit giving it the lead.
Burns (15-3) had an opportunity in its half of the seventh, earning two walks to start the frame. However, they were left stranded as Aidan Taylor earned the final three outs and a Mountaineer win.
Wyatt Davis pitched five innings for Kings Mountain, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with seven strikeouts. Burns’ Josh Taylor was equal to the task, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits in six innings with six strikeouts.
Ben Mauney had two hits and scored a run in the Burns loss.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA baseball: Cloninger, North Gaston roll to Easter tourney title
