From staff reports

Catawba’s baseball team pounded out 19 hits and beat Wingate 14-8 in the SAC Pre-Season Clash at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium. It was the opener for both teams.

David Thomas led 28th-ranked Catawba, collecting four hits. Jerry Sands was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and four runs scored. Matt Kepley and Chad Baker also had three hits.

Sands gave Catawba a 10-0 lead with a solo home run in the sixth. Brett Hatley connected for a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh to make the score 14-1. It marked the first time since Spence Southard in 2001 that a Tribe batter hit a grand slam in his first collegiate at-bat.

Tim Smith earned the win. He allowed just one hit with a walk and had six strikeouts in six innings of work.

* East Rowan wrestling

East Rowan, which wrestled Davie County for second place in the CPC on Friday, beat Mount Tabor 39-35 earlier this week. Tabor came into the match ranked fourth in the state.

Winning by pin for East (25-6, 4-1) were Donovan Smoot (103 pounds), Aaron Plyler (119), Jeremy Earnhardt (125), Keng Lor (130), Chase Burris (140) and C.J. Gordy (heavyewight). Thomas Lowe won by decision at 160.

The CPC tourney is today at Davie.

* Davie hoops loses

Davie County lost a CPC basketball doubleheader to North Davidson. The girls fell 62-52, and the boys lost 72-51.

Darius Hall scored 12 points for Davie’s boys (6-16, 0-10), while Drew Absher had 10.

Davie’s girls led 12-5 but finished the first quarter shooting 1-for-9 and never threatened the Black Knights (9-12, 5-4).

The War Eagles (9-13, 5-5) were led by Meisha Fowler’s 18 points. Tonesha Turner scored 15.

* Wonders top Parkwood

A.L. Brown’s boys basketball team rallied from 14 points down to beat Parkwood 75-74 in SPC action Friday.

Josh Gray led the third-place Wonders (15-7) with 26 points, including 15 in the second quarter.

Jonathan Efird had 14 points and 10 rebounds. He made the key steal and layup that provided the winning points. J.D Davidson had 10 points. Jamill Lott contributed nine points and seven assists.

* Davie football verbals

National signing day is Wednesday, and two Davie County football standouts recently committed to in-state schools.

Defensive lineman Chantz Grannaman has chosen Lenoir-Rhyne, and wide receiver Kenny Rivers has committed to Gardner-Webb.

Rivers, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in Davie’s sixth game, caught 32 passes for 675 yards and eight TDs.

* Prep swimming

The 1A/2A state swimming and diving championships are scheduled for today in Raleigh. Salisbury has eight entries in the girls meet, and North Rowan has six entries in the boys meet.

Salisbury’s relay teams qualified in the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free. SHS will be represented individually by Garrison Stevens (fifth seed in the 100 breaststroke, eighth seed in the 200 IM), Madi Ralston (10th seed in the 500 free, 11th seed in the 100 butterfly), Susie Wear (100 free) and Sarah Freitag (100 free).

North Rowan’s boys had relay teams qualify in the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free. North will be represented by Ryan Carter (14th seed in the 50 free, 22nd seed in the 100 free) and Adam Gill (22nd seed in the 50 free).

* South Rowan and East Rowan each have 10 entries in today’s 4A Central Regional.

South’s boys qualified in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. Cody Buchanan, who is part of the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams, is seeded sixth in the 100 backstroke and 14th in the 100 free. Jeremy Hathaway qualified in the 100 breaststroke. In the girls meet, South’s relay teams in the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free qualified. Bethany Bradshaw qualified in the 200 breaststroke.

East’s boys and girls qualified in three relays each: the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free. Individual qualifiers were Tanner Lowman (100 free), Steve Clark (100 free), Sean Anderson (50 free) and Jaimie Mullen (50 free).

* Boxing

Dominic DeSanto has been recognized as the No. 1 candiddate in North Carolina to make it to the Olympic Trials.

DeSanto just turned 17 which makes him an Open boxer. He can box men from 17-to-35 in his 141-pound weight class.

On Jan. 27 in Wilmington, Desanto won a unanimous decision over 27-year-old Quinntrial Thompson from Fayettville.

DeSanto’s first competition to make the Olympic Trials will be the first weekend of March at the USA State Championships. If he wins one of five matches between March and May, he will qualify for the Olympic Trials.

* Rowan Little League

Rowan Little League is currently accepting sign-ups at Godley’s Garden Center.

Cost is $40 for coach-pitch and T-ball (ages 5-8). Cost is $60 for ages 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

League age is as of April 30, 2007. Contact Jeff Bernhardt at 704-855-9849.