From staff reports
Chad Baker banged out four hits to lead Catawba to a 10-4 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in the SAC tournament on Friday.
The Bears were eliminated from the six-team event. Action moves to Hickory’s L.P. Frans Stadium today. Catawba will play Tusculum at noon. Neither team has lost in the double-elimination event.
The 23rd-ranked Indians (36-14) got a two-run homer from Craige Lyerly, a triple from David Thomas and strong pitching by Alex Fairweather and Brett Hatley in Friday’s win.
SAC Player of the Year Thomas led off the game with a triple, and Baker singled him home to give the Indians an early lead. Catawba would scored three times in the second, capped by a run-scoring double by Baker, one of his three two-baggers.
Bubba Morris knocked in two runs. Jerry Sands, Ryan Query, Hatley and Matt Kepley had two hits each.
n College baseballGarrett Sherrill (A.L. Brown) picked up a save for Appalachian State in a 6-2 victory over Western Carolina on Friday. Western got the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Sherrill struck out Reid Rollison to end the game.
n South Carolina’s Whit Merrifield (Davie County) went 3-for-4 and scored two runs in a 6-0 victory over Clemson on Wednesday.
n Catawba softball
Catawba coach Nan Whitley said her team has been promising, “Wait for the SAC tournament,” and the sixth-seeded Indians lived up to their vow with two wild wins on Friday.
Catawba beat Newberry 7-5 and Lincoln Memorial 3-2.
Catawba, which has lost once in the double-elimination event, plays Mars Hill today at 11:45 a.m., weather permitting. The Lions ousted No. 2 seed Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday.
Catawba used a five-run second to take control of its game with Newberry.
Cassie Markham had three hits. Allie Marshall had a two-run double. Jac White had an RBI. Callie Gordy had a pair of hits. Kathryn Geouge scored two runs.
Meghan Cobb pitched a complete game, and the Indians turned a double play to end the contest.
n Catawba staged a seventh-inning comeback against Lincoln Memorial, after being shut out for six innings.
Catawba stranded 10 runners in the game, including three when Alicia MacIntyre made an astounding catch while crashing through the left-field fence to rob Marshall of a grand slam in the fifth.
Markham reached with a one-out single in the seventh and took third on a double by Geouge. White grounded out to plate Markham. Marshall drew a walk, and Ryann Baker’s single to left-center plated Geouge to tie the game at 2-2. Sarah Van Buskirk singled to right field to plate Marshall for a 3-2 lead.
Cobb limited the Railsplitters to just three hits and allowed one earned run in tossing a complete game.
n Intimidators winFine pitching by Charlie Shirek and Leroy Hunt lifted the Kannapolis Intimidators to a 3-0 victory at Augusta on Friday.
n Catawba lacrosseMars Hill beat Catawba 11-10 in the semifinals of the Deep South Conference tournament on Friday despite five goals by Kurt Green.
Tyler Farmer scored the game-winning goal with 1:58 left.
n College golfWill Collins shot 3-over-par 75 and is tied for 37th after the opening round of the ACC Championship at the Old North State Club in New London. Virginia is in ninth place, and Collins tied for the third-best score on the team.
n Catawba tennis
Catawba senior Julia McKinzie has been named SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year for women’s tennis.
McKinzie is also on the All-SAC first team, after making second team the last three seasons.
McKinzie was 10-12 at No. 1 singles and 12-10 in doubles.
She won 66 doubles matches in her career for a school record and ranks fourth in singles wins with 44.
McKinzie has a 3.8 GPA as a biology major and volunteers at Rowan Regional Medical Center.
n Catawba’s No. 2 singles player KT Rebadow is on the All-SAC second team for the third time. She’s won 55 singles matches in her career, a school record.
n Catawba’s No. 1 men’s player, junior Sean Soltan, is on the All-SAC first team. Soltan had a 13-9 singles record.
n Prep baseball
West Davidson beat Ledford 8-4 on Friday and dropped the Panthers into a tie with Salisbury for first place in the CCC.
Zach Burkhart was the winning pitcher.
Jordan Hudson knocked in three runs for the Green Dragons. Alex Grubb and Chris Ivey had two RBIs each.
n UNC commitment Chaz Frank went 2-for-2 and pitched a five-hitter to lead Central Davidson to a 7-3 CCC victory over East Davidson.
Tanner Rivas hit a homer and knocked in three runs for the Spartans. Drew Hampton went 3-for-4. ASU signee Zack Briggs went 2-for-4.
n Davidson-bound Ryan Overcash’s grandfather passed away, but he went out and pitched a gem to lead Northwest Cabarrus to an 11-1, five inning NPC thrashing of Mooresville.
Steven Linker, Grayson Thompson and Hunter Pate powered homers for the fourth-place Trojans.
Northwest shortstop Ryan Lazenby suffered a sprained ankle, but otherwise it was a strong night for the Trojans.
“Ryan gave us a real gutsy performance, and we made the plays behind him,” Northwest coach Joe Hubbard said. “And we hit the ball hard against a quality pitcher in Aubrey Meadows.”
n Prep softball
Lauren Bost went 4-for-4 to lead Carson to an 11-4 NPC victory over South Rowan on Friday. Jesse Clark and Stephanie Sprinkle had two hits each to back the pitching of Megan Meismer.
n Middle school baseball
Dillon Parker pitched a complete game in Corriher-Lipe’s 4-2 victory over Southeast earlier this week.
Parker threw a five-hitter and allowed only one hit after the first inning.
Matt Miller and Blake Morrow had two hits and two RBIs apiece for the Yellow Jackets (4-2, 3-2).
n Corriher-Lipe’s Scott Magnusson hit a home run and Jordan Kennerly went 3-for-3 in a loss to Erwin.
n Basketball camp
The 15th Annual Hoops Unlimited Basketball Camp will be held on the following dates:
n Richfield Elementary School: June 16-19, for rising 2nd-5th grade boys and girls; and June 23-26 for rising 6th-9th grade boys and girls
n North Hills Christian School: July 7-10 for rising 2nd-5th grade boys and girls; and July 14-17 for rising 6th-9th grade boys and girls
The cost of the all-day camp is $95. Included is a camp shirt and “all you can eat” lunch each day.
Camp director is Rick Roseman, former East Rowan varsity boys coach for 13 years and camp director for 15 years. Each session is limited to the first 50 applicants. For a camp brochure or additional information, contact Roseman at 704-279-7334.
n Rowan County Legion
Sign-up date to play Rowan County American Legion baseball is 2 p.m., April 27, at Newman Park.
Boys born January 1, 1989 or after are eligible to play in 2008. Please bring your original birth certificate with a raised seal unless you were on last year’s team and have not picked yours up.
Any player who attends East, North, Salisbury, Carson, or West whose home is closer to Salisbury High (our home base school) than South Rowan, Mooresville, or Davie County is encouraged to come out and sign up.
All positions are open to players that earn them.
Rowan Junior Legion team will have sign-ups at the same time. Boys born on or after January 1, 1991, are eligible to play on this team. Boys must bring their original birth certificate with a raised seal. We encourage parents to attend this sign-up so we can tell them what is involved in Junior Legion baseball. This will give more boys a chance to play baseball during the summer and make them eligible for the Senior Legion team in the future. If you can’t attend the sign-up on this date or have questions and want to play baseball for Rowan Legion, contact Bob Lowman at 704-279-2557.
n South Rowan Legion
South Rowan American Legion baseball will hold sign-ups for Senior and Junior Legion players on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 2 p.m. at the South Rowan baseball field. Players will need a birth certificate with a raised seal, insurance information, and a parent or legal guardian will need to sign permission slips.
Senior Legion baseball is for any player born on or after Jan 1, 1989, while Junior Legion baseball is for players born on or after Jan. 1, 1991.
South Rowan Legion is open to players from South Rowan High and players from Carson, West Rowan and East Rowan whose legal domicile is closer to South Rowan High than Salisbury, Mooresville, Davie County or A.L. Brown. Contact athletic director Mike Fisher at (704) 213-3612 or mfish3048@yahoo.com if you have questions about player eligibility or requirements for sign up.
n Kannapolis Legion
The Kannapolis American Legion program will hold an important parents meeting on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. at the VFW on North Cannon Blvd.