NCHSAA 2A State Championship Softball Preview: #15 seed North Lenoir versus #1 seed West Wilkes
2025 NCHSAA 2A Softball State Championship Preview
#15 North Lenoir Hawks vs. #1 West Wilkes Blackhawks
Location: UNC Greensboro Softball Stadium
Broadcast: Live on NFHS Network
⏰ Series Schedule:
Game 1: Friday, May 30 @ 5:00 PM
Game 2: Saturday, May 31 @ 11:00 AM
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, May 31 @ 5:00 PM
🔥 The Matchup: Bracket-Busting Hawks vs. the Blackhawk Buzzsaw
One team was expected. The other wasn’t even on the radar.
Top-seeded West Wilkes (25-3) enters the 2A State Championship on a 19-game winning streak and a mission to finish what last year’s 21-1 campaign couldn’t. Meanwhile, North Lenoir, the 15-seed out of the East, made history—becoming the first double-digit seed in over two decades to reach the 2A finals. One team is chasing legacy. The other is rewriting it.
🪽 North Lenoir Hawks: Red-Hot and Unafraid
Since a loss to South Lenoir on May 1, North Lenoir hasn’t looked back. They ripped through SouthWest Edgecombe, Roanoke Rapids, Camden County, Martin County, and upset powerhouse South Granville in three games to punch their ticket to Greensboro.
They’ve outscored opponents 251–97, hit .373 as a team, and pitched to a 1.80 ERA. They’re the hottest team in the state, and they’re doing it with production up and down the lineup.
Senior ace Maddie Rouse leads the way—on both sides of the ball. In the circle, she’s 14-2 with a 1.29 ERA over 97.1 innings and 96 strikeouts. At the plate? She’s unstoppable. A .548 average, 34 hits, 43 RBIs, 12 doubles, 8 triples, and 6 home runs. When she’s locked in, she’s the most dominant two-way player in 2A softball.
And behind her are two of the biggest reasons North Lenoir is still alive: Alyssa Hatcher and Lakyn Whitley.
Hatcher, a senior leader and consistent bat in the middle, is hitting .444 with 24 hits and 17 RBIs. She’s been rock solid all postseason, delivering in tight moments. Whitley, a junior, brings fireworks—batting .456 with 31 hits, 23 RBIs, 38 runs scored, and 3 home runs. She’s the kind of player who changes a game with one swing or one sprint around the bases.
In the two-hole, Hallie Fowler has quietly become one of the most impactful bats in Eastern North Carolina. She’s batting .500 with 35 hits, 35 runs, and 31 RBIs. Her ability to drive in leadoff hitters and extend innings has been a difference-maker.
Don’t overlook Haley Hemby, either. The junior 9-hole hitter may not lead in average, but her production is undeniable: .311 with 19 hits and 23 runs. She’s flipped the lineup multiple times in crucial spots, giving Fowler, Whitley, and Rouse second chances to do damage.
North Lenoir’s roster is loaded with youth—6 freshmen—but they don’t play like it. They’ve proven they can win in blowouts and in grinders. They’ve come from behind and slammed the door shut. This team didn’t just get hot. They stayed hot.
🦅 West Wilkes Blackhawks: The Measured Machine
The Blackhawks are built like contenders. Their 25-3 record includes wins over playoff regulars and dominant stretches where they’ve outscored opponents 267–68. They’re deep, experienced, and dangerous.
Kelsey Madden, their ace, is 12-2 with a 1.88 ERA across 82.1 innings. She’s racked up 98 strikeouts and allowed just 22 earned runs. Zoey Woodruff, a freshman, has added 34 innings of relief work with a 1.85 ERA and 37 Ks. Madison Fletcher closes games and spots starts with a 3.00 ERA.
At the plate, Fletcher is the centerpiece. The senior catcher is hitting .508 with 32 hits, 31 RBIs, and 5 home runs. Madden isn’t far behind—.358 average, 36 RBIs, and 8 long balls. Woodruff (.385), Nichols (.365), and Neuens (.270) make this group dangerous from 1 through 6.
But the bottom of the order has been hit or miss. Batters 7–9 are a combined sub-.250 group with minimal extra-base production. In two of their three losses this year, West Wilkes scored five runs or fewer—showing that when the top-heavy bats go cold, the team becomes mortal.
Defensive miscues have shown up under pressure, too. In their 9-8 loss to Ashe County and their early-season stumble vs. High Point Christian, errors turned close games into gut punches.
📉 Exposed Gaps & Pressure Points
West Wilkes:
In 2 of their 3 losses, they scored 5 runs or fewer.
They struck out 10+ times and left runners in scoring position in both games.
Defensive miscues—especially from the corners—have cost them in tight games.
Their offense is elite, but streaky. And if Madden isn't dominating on the mound, things get shaky fast.
North Lenoir:
Still a young team with six freshmen seeing major time.
Rouse has logged nearly the entire pitching load—how much gas is left?
🔍 Key Matchups & X-Factors
Rouse vs. Fletcher and Madden – If Rouse can quiet the big bats, particularly in early innings, it sets the tone for the entire series.
Whitley & Hatcher in the Heart – Their ability to either bring Rouse home or clear the bases behind her could decide each game. These two are the firepower built for big-game moments.
Fowler’s Engine in the 2-Hole – She’s the spark that keeps innings alive. If she reaches, the middle of the order gets fed.
Hemby’s 9-Hole Value – Her on-base ability and late-inning production have extended rallies and flipped pressure onto opposing pitchers. She might be the quietest clutch bat in the bracket.
🏁 Final Word
The 2A state title is on the line—and both teams bring elite talent, tested grit, and something bigger to prove.
For North Lenoir, it’s a season of validation. A team overlooked, doubted, and seeded 15th is now one series away from a championship legacy.
For West Wilkes, it’s redemption. A powerhouse halted too soon in 2023 now returns with fire in its bones and a roster ready to finish.
History favors the higher seed. But momentum? That’s all North Lenoir.
Two games. One dream. Let’s play ball—and make it legendary.
