From staff  and wire reports

The annual F&M Bank High School Baseball Classic returns to CMC-NorthEast Stadium, home of the Kannapolis Intimidators, this week.

The eight-team field will compete in a bracket-style tournament.

The event opens on Thursday with a single game and continues on Friday, Saturday and Monday.

South Rowan and Lake Norman are playing their  tournament first-round game on Thursday (4:30 p.m.)  because Lake Norman has a league game scheduled on Friday.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students and seniors (55+), while children 4-under will be admitted free.

This year’s field includes A.L. Brown, Carson, J.M. Robinson, Lake Norman, Northwest Cabarrus, Pisgah, Salisbury and South Rowan.

All teams will play at least two games at CMC-NorthEast Stadium.

Two consolation-bracket games will be held at A.L. Brown  on Monday.

Thursday, April 2

Lake Norman vs. South Rowan, 4:30

Friday, April 3

Robinson vs. Carson, 1:30

A.L. Brown vs. Salisbury, 4

Pisgah vs. NW Cabarrus, 6:30

Rowan Legion

Rowan County American Legion baseball is holding sign-ups for Senior and Junior teams on April 12 at 4 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Harold B. Jarrett Post 342 on Lincolnton Road in Salisbury.

Players need to bring a copy of their birth certificate or a copy of their driver’s license.

Parents should plan to attend to sign medical forms.  A notary public will be on hand to notarize Form 2’s.

Any questions should be directed to team manager Mark Cauble.

Hornets lose

CHARLOTTE  — Avery Bradley had 30 points and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-104 on Monday night for an important Eastern Conference victory.

Evan Turner scored 15 points as the Celtics won for the 10th time in the last 16 games. Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart each had 14 points.

Boston moved back into eighth place in the conference standings, a few percentage points ahead of Brooklyn in the battle for the East’s final playoff spot.

Kemba Walker led a furious fourth-quarter comeback that fell short, finishing with 28 points and 12 assists. Gerald Henderson added 17 points for Charlotte, which has dropped four of its last five games.

Charlotte’s loss clinched a second straight playoff berth for the Washington Wizards.

Local golf

South Rowan’s Davis Richards shot 71-76 — 147 and finished second in the Jimmy Anderson Invitational in Jacksonville, N.C.

East Rowan’s Nick Lyerly shot 75-73 — 148 and tied for third.

Cannon School’s Michael Childress shot 73-82 — 155 and tied for 24th.

East Rowan’s Logan Shuping shot 81-81 — 162 and tied for 62nd.

College track

In the Winthrop Invitational, Livingstone’s  Garland Archie (North Rowan) won the shot put with a personal-best of 14.68 meters.

Johnson beat out several  Division I competitors for his first win of the season.

Archie placed fourth in the discus (44.62 meters).

• Livingstone’s Daniel King (North Rowan) placed seventh in the javelin (46.39 meters).

• Livingstone’s Ebony Moore broke a 23-year-old school-record in the shot put (13.41 meters) and placed third in the meet.

College tennis

Livingstone’s women lost to J.C. Smith 8-1 on Sunday and won 5-2 against Elizabeth City State on Saturday.

Livingstone hosts Winston-Salem State Tuesday at 4 p.m.

College lacrosse

Catawba’s women got goals from 11 different players in a 20-7 win over Chowan on Monday afternoon at Shuford Stadium.

Nicolette Salay led the  Indians with five goals.

Catawba (7-5) set a  school record with the 20 goals, bettering the mark of 19 set against Siena Heights in 2013.

Catawba has matched its highest win total in the short, four-year history of the program.  Catawba was  7-9 a year ago.

Caroline Beggs had three assists and set a school record with 46 points for the season.

College baseball

Appalachian State’s Brian Bauk (Salisbury) made a remarkable, diving catch on Sunday in center field.

That catch got the Mountaineers to extra innings, but they lost 7-5 in the 10th to Arkansas-Little Rock.

• Catawba plays at home  Tuesday against Pfeiffer at 6 p.m.

Prep softball

Peyton Greene pitched a three-hitter and struck out seven as West Rowan’s softball team beat Davie 4-0 on Monday.

Taylor Martin had a triple. Greene had a double.  Tyasia Jones scored two runs.

Greene’s double scored the first two runs after hits by Parker Greene and Marissa Yow.

Camryn Nooner sparkled on defense for the Falcons.

The Falcons are off until they play Mount Pleasant at home next Monday.

• Carson Crowe’s tiebreaking double and Megan Hogeland’s game-ending catch of a line dive gave South Davidson a 3-2 win against West Davidson on Monday.

Prep baseball

The Greater Cabarrus Homeschool Stallions defeated Uwharrie Charter 19-5 at Staton Field on Monday in East Rowan’s Easter tournament.

Dalton Lankford, Tyler Hartsell and Caleb Threadgill had three hits each.

Lankford had a double and three RBIs. Hartsell had two doubles and three RBIs. Threadgill had two doubles. Cone had two hits and four RBIs.

Sawyer Strickland had two hits.  Hartsell was the winning pitcher.

  College golf

Catawba’s Matt Hardman  shot 2-under 70 to share the first-round lead, while teammate Zach Griffis made a hole-in-one   at the Tennessee River Rumble men’s golf tournament on Monday.

Lincoln Memorial is hosting the event at  Tennessee National Golf Club.

Griffis is eighth after a round of 75. Griffis notched the ace on the No. 3 hole.

Catawba is second as a team, three shots back of leader Lincoln Memorial.    

• Catawba is sixth after Monday’s first round of the   Agnes McAmis Memorial women’s golf tournament  at Link Hills Country Club in Greeneville, Tenn.

The Indians shot 324, 13 shots back of leader King.

Annika Winebarger led Catawba with a 79 and is 13th.  Alexis Kershaw shot 80, and Madison Kennedy (Salisbury) shot 81.