From staff reports

David Thomas' two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning lifted Catawba to a 5-4 victory over Florida Tech in the first round of the South Regional on Thursday night.

Catawba trailed 4-2 entering the eighth, but Craige Lyerly started the inning with a double. He scored on a groundout. With two away, Bubba Morris reached on an error and Matt Kepley singled to set the table for Thomas. Kepley scored the winning run from first on Thomas' belt to right-center.

Catawba (41-16) takes on Tusculum tonight at 7 p.m. in the double-elimination event.

Brett Hatley (5-1) kept Florida Tech scoreless in the eighth and ninth to earn the victory.

Catawba got its first two runs on Chad Baker's RBI single that scored Morris in the third, and Lyerly's solo homer in the fourth, one of his three hits.

Catawba starter Blake Ketner, a second-team all-region pick, allowed 13 hits but limited the damage to four runs in 52/3 innings of work.

- Erwin wins county meet

Erwin's girls track team won the Rowan County Middle School Conference meet with 125 points.

North Rowan was second with 96.

Summer Taylor won the 400, 800 and long jump to lead the Eagles. Summer Curlee won the triple jump.

Alexis Craig won the discus, and the Eagles also won 4x400 relay.

- Middle school baseball

Dillon Parker pitched a complete game as Corriher-Lipe nipped West Rowan Middle 4-3 on Thursday.

Matt Miller had three hits for the Yellow Jackets (8-6, 6-6). Parker, Blake Morrow and Casey Deal had two each.

West Middle also has a player named Matt Miller. West's Miller had two hits.

* Chase Johnson, Andy Austin and K.J. Pressley had two hits each as Southeast outscored Knox 11-7.

Ethan Free was the winning pitcher for the Patriots (7-6, 5-6). Southeast has a game left at West on Wednesday.

* Nathan Fulbright collected two hits for Erwin in a 7-3 victory over North Rowan Middle. Alex Bost was the winning pitcher and struck out nine Mavericks. Coach Craig Johnson's Eagles finished the regular season 13-1.

- Trojans make football hire

West Stanly athletics director and football and track coach has been hired to replace Mike Helms at the helm of Northwest Cabarrus' football program.

Williams, a former Northwest coach and AD, piloted West Stanly to a 34-39 mark over the last six seasons.

- All-CCC golf

Salisbury's Roy Dixon, Randy Almeida and Clint Riddle are on the All-CCC golf team. Coach Dale Snyder was one of the runners-up for coach of the year honors. See scoreboard.

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