South Lenoir Outlasts North Lenoir in High-Stakes Showdown, Claims Conference Crown in Electric Rivalry Clash

WHEAT SWAMP, N.C. — The pressure. The passion. The history. And on Thursday night in the heart of Wheat Swamp, the South Lenoir Blue Devils wrote the latest—and perhaps most thrilling—chapter in their rivalry saga with the North Lenoir Hawks. With the conference title and playoff seeding hanging in the balance, the Blue Devils stormed into enemy territory and walked away with a gritty 7–4 victory, extending their win streak over the Hawks to an astonishing 25 straight games.

The atmosphere was electric, the stakes couldn’t have been higher, and the crowd packed into the stands felt every pitch, swing, and sprint like it was October.

North Lenoir struck first in the bottom of the first when Maddie Rouse ripped a double to centerfield, bringing home Lakyn Whitley and sending the Hawks faithful into a frenzy.

But the Blue Devils weren’t rattled — they were galvanized.

In the top of the third, Cloey Cole got things started with a leadoff single. After a batter interference call threatened to stall momentum, Carley Boone stepped to the plate and silenced the home crowd with a thunderous double to right, knotting the score at one apiece. Moments later, Rylan Wade drew a walk, and Jade Sasnett punched a single to left to give South Lenoir a 2–1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Boone wasn’t finished.

In the fifth, the slugger doubled again, plating another run and igniting the Blue Devils' dugout. Kellynn Swinson followed with a clutch RBI single to extend the lead to 4–1. But South Lenoir wasn’t done piling on.

In the sixth, with the bases juiced, Wade stepped in and delivered a dagger — a single paired with a defensive error that cleared the bases and blew the game wide open, 7–1.

North Lenoir tried to claw back. They picked up a run in the sixth off a Blue Devil error. And in the seventh, Rouse hammered a two-run home run that sent a jolt through the home crowd. But it was too little, too late. South Lenoir locked it down and sealed the 7–4 win in dramatic fashion.

Jade Sasnett was masterful in the circle for the Blue Devils, going the distance with seven innings pitched, allowing seven hits, four runs, four walks, and ringing up 10 strikeouts.

Maddie Rouse battled for the Hawks, pitching seven innings, allowing 10 hits and seven runs, with four strikeouts and three walks. She also led North Lenoir at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs and drawing two walks in a gutsy two-way performance.

For the Blue Devils, Wade finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs, while Boone continued her offensive tear, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the win.

After the game, head coach Madison Harvey beamed with pride:

“I am very proud of them. We have really struggled hitting lately. We went to practice yesterday determined to hit… They did fantastic tonight.”

Boone, unfazed and focused, kept it simple when asked about her mindset at the plate:

“My mentality going into the box was hitting the ball or leave, so I hit the ball.”

Sasnett reflected on her night in the circle:

“I was just focused on my spins and doing my best for my team. I just trusted in God and did what I needed to do.”

With the regular season finale in the books, both teams now shift their focus to the 2A state playoffs. The Blue Devils, riding a wave of momentum and armed with the conference crown, will open the postseason at home. The Hawks are likely headed on the road — unless the brackets, set to be released this weekend, deal them a bit of luck.

But on this night, in front of a roaring crowd and under the lights in Wheat Swamp, it was the Blue Devils who rose to the occasion — again.