Facing a team it had seen three times all ready this season, the Mustangs did just enough to advance to the second round with a 2-0 win at home Friday over South Davidson.
Both teams came out of the Yadkin Valley Conference, a league the Mustangs dominated in going 12-0 to claim the regular-season title. North Moore also added the conference tournament crown to its resume.
Originally scheduled for Thursday, the game was stopped after a half-inning of play because of a thunderstorm. The two teams resumed the rain-delayed contest on Friday.
"When you play a team four times in a season, they get to know you pretty well," said Mustang coach Sammy McNeill following the game. "South Davidson has been improving steadily as the season went along, and they played a good game against us tonight. We've got our work cut out for us, if we expect to get to Raleigh."
Raleigh is where the final four teams left standing after three rounds of playoffs meet to decide the state championship. The Mustangs have reached Walnut Creek Softball Complex, the site of the Final Four, five out of the last six years. Several times they have nudged on the door of a state title, ending up runners-up several times in those five trips.
Allison Braswell pitched the entire game for North Moore (23-5 overall), giving up two hits, striking out six batters, walking none, but hitting one batter in shutting out the Wildcats. Braswell pitched perfect ball for four innings, and never allowed South Davidson to advance a player past first base.
The Mustangs would give the right-hander the only run she needed in the bottom of the first inning.
Logan Monroe got North Moore started when she reached on a single. She moved to second when Megan McNeill worked South Davidson starter Jessica Burcham for a walk. She came home with the game's first run when Jasmine Covington's hit to center field was misplayed for an error. But Burcham settled down, and got out of the inning without further damage.
Neither team threatened again until the bottom of the fourth when the Mustangs pushed across their final run of the game thanks to several Wildcat miscues.
Bianca Alsobrook reached on a sharp single to center field, then used two passed balls to move around to third base. She would score the Mustangs' second run when she came home on a Burcham wild pitch.
South Davidson would finally get to Braswell for the first time in the top of the fifth. Whitley Suggs broke up Braswell's no-hitter with a single to right field, but was tagged out attempting to steal second base.
Suggs proved to be the only Wildcat batter able to solve Braswell's deliveries when she provided a two-out single in the top of the seventh. She was stranded on first as the next batter popped out to end the contest.
Burcham, like Braswell, pitched a complete game, taking the loss for the Wildcats. She gave up four hits, while striking out six batters and walking three.
North Moore stays at home for Tuesday's second-round playoff game. The Mustangs will face the winner of the Mount Airy-West Wilkes first-round contest.
