North Lenoir Stays Resilient, Defeats South Granville to Advance in 2A Playoffs.
CREEDMOOR — With a game full of pitching and defense, the Hawks' bats all woke up in the eighth inning when it mattered the most.
North Lenoir leaned on its resilience and heart Tuesday night, rallying late and delivering a four-run knockout punch in extra innings to defeat South Granville, 5-1, and advance to the second round of the NCHSAA 2A Baseball Playoffs.
Early Tension, Missed Opportunities
From the opening pitch, it was clear both teams were in for a grind. Strong defense and sharp pitching kept the scoreboard frozen for most of the night, and neither side could find that big hit early on.
North Lenoir managed to scratch across a run to take a slim lead, but South Granville clawed back, tying the game in the bottom of the seventh and sending the first-round battle into extras.
Despite the late momentum swing, the Hawks never panicked — they stayed patient, and they stayed ready. "I'm extremely proud," Head Coach Cam Sherrer said. "It's been our thing all year being resilient and being in tough situations."
Chadwick Sets the Table, Byrd Breaks It Open
When the eighth inning rolled around, North Lenoir’s offense finally erupted.
Senior Carter Chadwick, locked in at the plate all night, led off the rally, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 including a massive double that lit a fire in the dugout.
Moments later, Garrett Byrd delivered the swing the Hawks had been waiting for — a two-run home run that sent the North Lenoir faithful into a frenzy.
"It was a relief," Byrd said. "I hit two 330-foot fly balls. I finally got one over the plate and I put a barrel on it."
The Hawks kept piling on from there. Jayden Miller went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Mason Sasser and Peyton Wiggins each brought runs home as the Hawks opened the floodgates and put the game out of reach.
Honeycutt’s Calm Under Fire
Before the late fireworks, it was Wriston Honeycutt who set the tone.
Honeycutt battled through pressure innings all night, keeping South Granville’s offense off balance and refusing to let the moment get too big.
"It was kind of chippy the whole night with a lot of things being said," Honeycutt said. "Me and Garrett had a game plan going into the game, and we executed."
His battery mate, Garrett Byrd, never doubted the outcome.
"I knew it!" Byrd said. "I have the utmost trust in him. I have caught him for two years, I grew up with him, I just knew he was going to get it done."
Together, Honeycutt and Byrd were a wall — one that South Granville simply couldn’t climb.
Defense, Execution, and Belief
It wasn’t just the offense and pitching that carried North Lenoir — it was also the defense.
The Hawks turned two key double plays, played error-free baseball at critical moments, and showed exactly why they are built for these playoff battles.
In total, North Lenoir racked up 11 hits, five runs, and most importantly, a ticket to the next round.
