From staff reports

Catawba and Tusculum tied for first place in the SAC preseason baseball poll.

The coaches voted the Indians and Pioneers, who have shared the league regular-season crown the past two seasons, 73 points apiece.

Catawba received five first-place votes. Tusculum drew three. Third-place Carson-Newman (66 points) got one.

Rounding out the poll were Lenoir-Rhyne (41), Mars Hill (40), Presbyterian (35), Wingate (32), newcomer Lincoln Memorial (31) and Newberry (14).

Catawba outfielders David Thomas and Jerry Sands and pitchers Alex Fairweather and Tim Smith were voted to the preseason All-SAC first team.

Second baseman Chad Baker, shortstop/pitcher Zach Evans and pitcher Blake Ketner were named to the second team.

n Pfeiffer women win

Pfeiffer’s women’s basketball won 81-75 at Mount Olive on Monday.

Pfeiffer (15-4, 10-2) overcame an early 15-2 deficit. Lauren Brittingham scored 29 points, including six free throws in the final 25 seconds. Raven Truslow added 17 points for the Falcons.

n Pfeiffer men lose

Pfeiffer’s men’s basketball team lost at Mount Olive 110-104 on Monday.

Robert McGriff had 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Falcons (13-6, 7-5). Tavares Cooper scored 22 points. DeMario Grier had 12.

Pfeiffer plays host to Queens on Saturday.

n CVAC golf poll

The Pfeiffer women were picked first in the preseason CVAC women’s golf poll.

n Erwin, North split

Erwin’s seventh-grade girls basketball team beat North Rowan Middle 45-24 on Monday.

The Eagles (3-1, 2-0), who surged to a 32-7 halftime lead, were led by Ashley Goins with 16 points, six steals and four assists. Sydney Safrit scored 12 points, and Summer Taylor added six.

North Rowan (0-1) was led by Teanna Cuthbertson with 12 points. Tiffany Brown scored eight.

n North Rowan’s boys rolled 62-15 over the Eagles. Tion McCain (16 points), Pierre Givens (15), DeJoun Jones (13) and Elliott Hayes (12) led the scoring for the Mavericks (1-0).

Alex Bost scored seven points for Erwin (2-2, 1-1). Jordan Shepherd had six.

n East wrestling

East Rowan’s wrestling team defeated Randleman 72-6, topped Southeast Guilford 48-24 and beat West Montgomery 70-6 in a recent dual-team tournament at Southwestern Randolph.

The Mustangs (24-6, 3-1 CPC) lost to Southwestern Randolph 42-30.

Alex Lawson and Wayne Parker went 4-0 in the tournament. C.J. Gordy and Seth Stephenson were 3-0.

Chase Burris, Joe Knox, Keng Lor, Thomas Lowe, Josh Patch and Aaron Plyler posted 3-1 records. Josiah Hurst was 2-1. Hunter Arey and Jeremy Earnhardt had 1-0 marks.

n Plyler, Stephenson, Patch, Lowe, Gordy, Knox, Lawson and Parker won matches in a 43-27 CPC win over South Rowan.

n College track

UNC Wilmington freshman Tiffany Thomas (South Rowan) was outstanding in her first college track outing at the Captain Invitational in Newport News. Va, on Saturday.

Thomas won the long jump (16 feet, 61/2 inches), finished 10th in the 400 meters and ran on a 4×200 relay team that finished second and broke the school record with a clocking of 1:16.50.

n Bellarmine’s Zach Pittman (North Rowan) was fifth in the 200 meters at the Engineer Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.

n College basketball

Sophilia Hipps (North Rowan) had 15 points to lead South Carolina State to a 50-48 win over Norfolk State on Monday.

n Softball league

There will be a softball league (open, corporate and church) at the Faith Jaycee Ballpark beginning the week of March 26.

Games will be played Monday-Thursday. There is a guarantee of 16 games, including a double-elimination tournament at the end of the season.

Unlimited home runs, USSSA rules, with state certified USSSA umpires. Cost is $380, which includes sanctioning fees

Contact Don Kiker 704-279-6345 (home) or 704-791-6784 (cell) or email ckiker@carolina.rr.com.

There will be a mandatory managers meeting on March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Faith Jaycee Ballpark.

n Spencer Little League

Spencer Little League will hold registration for spring baseball and softball programs on Fridays, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9, from 4-8 p.m. and on Saturdays, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Eighth Street Ballpark in Spencer.

Cost of registration is $40 for ages 8-12 and $60 for ages 13-16.

League age is as of April 30, 2007. Contact William Noles at 704-633-0151 or Chris Fries at 704-637-2766 for info.

n China Grove baseball

China Grove Youth Baseball League and Cal Ripken Baseball League sign-ups will be taken at Dale’s Sporting Goods, starting Feb. 3.

Registration fee is $50 for Coach-Pitch, Junior Division, and Senior Division.

Registration will continue until Feb. 24. After Feb 24, late registration fee is $60. Call 704-857-1439 for information.

n Junior golf

Salisbury’s Isabella Rusher shot 100-106 — 206 and won the girls 8-10 division of the latest National Junior Golf Club Tour event.

China Grove’s Davis Richards won the boys 8-9 divison with 74-77 — 151.

Salisbury’s Eric Edwards shot 77-80 — 157 and placed fourth in the boys 10-11 division. Salisbury’s Joseph Rusher shot 94-87 — 181 and was seventh in the boys 10-11 division.