Area Sports Briefs

From staff reports

Belmont Abbey used four home runs to double-up host Catawba 14-7 in baseball action on Friday afternoon at Newman Park.

Freshman Garrett Brooks got the Indians (0-1) on the board first with an inside-the-park home run in the second. Ryan Bostian (South Rowan) had a solo home run in the third.

But Belmont Abbey (2-0) erupted for seven runs in the sixth to blow the game open. Stephen Mullis started things with a three-run homer and added a second home run, a solo blast, in the seventh.

Garrett Furr led Catawba, going 3-for-5, with a homer, and four RBIs. Cameron Beard and Bostian each had two hits.

Catawba starter Nick Lomascolo surrendered six runs on seven hits in five innings while striking out six.

n Prep hoops

A.L. Brown boys coach Shelwyn Klutz was smiling after his Wonders put four players in double figures in a 78-55 win over Hickory Ridge on Friday night.

“That’s probably the best team basketball we’ve played all year,” Klutz said.

The Wonders (14-7, 6-6 SPC) were led by Braxton Waddell with 18 points. Derrick Copeland and Tevin Stark added 16 each. Keeon Johnson chipped in with 10.

• A.L. Brown’s girls fell to Hickory Ridge 47-45 on a buzzer-beater by Jordan Strode.

The Wonders (12-9, 7-5) led when Sara Tuttle buried a long 3 with nine seconds left, But Strode drove the length of the court for a layup to give the Ragin’ Bulls their eightth straight victory. Strode, a St. Joseph's signee, scored 23 points.

• Davie County got two clutch free throws by Davis Absher to stave off a Reynolds comeback in a 78-73 win.

Davie (16-5, 5-3) was led by Nate Jones with 19 points. Shannon Dillard and Cody Martin each had 18. Absher and Kenyon Tatum scored nine apiece.

With West Forsyth and Reagan both losing, the War Eagles are now alone in second place in the Central Piedmont Conference, one game behind league leader Mount Tabor, which defeated Reagan 75-51 on Friday night.

• Carson’s JV girls defeated West Iredell 41-24 behind 11 points from Katie Barringer and eight each from Jordy Clark and Chrishona Roberson. Cassie Howard scored seven and Megan Gray six.

n College hoops

Livingstone’s basketball teams are home for a CIAA doubleheader against Winston-Salem State that begins at 5:30 p.m.

• Catawba is on the road tonight at Lincoln Memorial for a SAC doubleheader.

n Pfeiffer’s Brittany Cox was named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District team.

Cox has a 3.92 GPA and averages 19.7 points per game for the Falcons.

n 7th-grade hoops

The Knox girls beat Mooresville 30-26 in an overtime thriller.

The Red Imps tied the game in the final second of regulation, but Knox its flexed muscles in overtime.

Tyzarea Alexander led the Trojans with 15 points. Kilantra Mashore scored six.

n China Grove’s girls topped Southeast 21-13.

Keara McClary led the Red Devils with eight points. Shontrice Tracey added 14 boards.

n NCHSAA hoops

The NCHSAA will seed teams for the basketball playoffs this year, rather than having predetermined conference matchups in the first round.

There will be 64 qualifiers in each class, and they’ll be divided into four geographical regions.

Then they’ll be seeded based on order of finish in their conference and overall record.

There will be six wild-card teams in 1A, two in 4A and none in 3A and 2A.

Pairings will be announced Feb. 18 after conference tournaments.

Regionals are set for Feb. 28-March 3 in Greensboro and Fayetteville.

n Power lifting

Salisbury’s Curtis Rabon won the open division and the Masters division (ages 45-49) in the 275-pound class in the Tennessee State Powerlifting and Bench Press Championship.

Rabon squatted 705 pounds, benched 450 and dead-lifted 655.

Justin Ridenhour won the single play bench press competition and the single play push/pull in the 275-pound class.

n Coed volleyball

There will be a Spring Swing 4-on-4 coed volleyball league held at Hurley YMCA.

The league starts in March.

Entry deadline is March 2.

There will be an open court session on Feb. 26 from 1-5.

Contact Kenno Shoaf at the Hurley Y at 704-636-0111.