Area briefs
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 23, 2008
From staff reports
Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team played only the top of the first inning against Burlington-Graham on Tuesday before a lightning delay and a subsequent downpour ended play at Newman Park.
Rowan right-hander Matt Hall (3-1) enjoyed a 1-2-3 top of the first, and play will resume tonight with Justin Roland leading off the bottom of the first for Rowan.
Had the washout occurred during the regular season, the teams would have started from scratch tonight, but “suspended play rules” are in effect for the Area III playoffs.
Burlington-Graham has come from behind to win 7-5 and 16-14 on its home field and leads the high-scoring, best-of-seven series 2-1. Rowan rallied in Game 2 at Newman Park and won 10-7 in 12 innings on a walkoff homer by Micah Jarrett.
Tyler Snow (4-0), a hero in Game 1, was the scheduled starting pitcher for Post 63 last night.
The series must be completed by Saturday, and the winner qualifies for the state tournament as well as the best-of-five Area III championship series.
– South washed out
South Rowan and Randolph County were unable to play Game 3 of their best-of-seven, third-round series at the South diamond on Tuesday.
Poor weather conditions kept the game from starting.
South has gotten some needed rest the last two nights and now has four rested pitchers in Cam Park, Zach Wright, Ryan Bostian and Walker Snow.
South lost the first two games of the series 14-5 and 10-0 in Asheboro. Asheboro belted five homers and got strong pitching from Steven Davis and Austin Moyer.
Games 3 and 4 will be played at South.
South’s Randy Shepherd, who has committed to Appalachian State, won’t be pitching anymore this summer, but he has hit nine homers, one short of the program record set by Daniel Wagner and Rudy Brown.
South second baseman Maverick Miles owns a 16-game hitting streak, and center fielder Bostian has an 11-game streak. Miles has three triples, one shy of Matt Morgan’s program record.
Park (5-1) is the probable starter for South tonight.
South will be without one of its top pitchers and hitters, Weston Church, until Friday. Church is on a cruise to the Bahamas.
The series also must be completed by Saturday, and the winner qualifies for the state tournament as well as the best-of-five Area III championship series.
Randolph won the Area III title last season and lost to Kannapolis in the Area III championship series in 2006.
– Legion state tournament
Games in the American Legion state tournament will be played Aug. 5-9 at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia.
Sims Legion Park is an historic, 3,000-seat facility that was rebuilt in the mid-1970s. It is currently the summer home for the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plain League.
Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa are among the players who have played minor league ball at Sims.
A tournament pass for all 15 games in the state tournament is priced at $30 and passes for one day are $10.
– Intimidators rained out
The Kannapolis Intimidators were rained out at home against Savannah on Tuesday.
The teams will play a doubleheader today, starting at 9:35 a.m. For tickets, call 704-932-FANS or go online to intimidatorsbaseball.com.
– Warthogs lose to Salem
Winston-Salem lost to visiting Salem 6-4 at Ernie Shore Field on Tuesday.
Greg Buchanan’s bases-loaded triple was the key blow.
– Coastal Plain League
Asheboro’s Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) was named Offensive Player of the Game for Tuesday’s CPL All-Star Game at McCrary Park.
Wagner leads the CPL with 60 hits.
* Asheboro pitcher Alex Fairweather (Catawba) leads the CPL with 65 strikeouts in 56 innings and was a recent CPL Pitcher of the Week.
– Minor leagues
Vancouver’s David Thomas (Catawba) had a triple and a double in Sunday’s 6-0 victory against Yakima.
* Spencer Steedley (East Rowan) took a loss for Fort Myers on Tuesday when he allowed a two-run, eighth-inning to Victor Mendez in a 4-3 setback to St. Lucie.
– Cougars 11-under baseball
The Carson Cougars 11-under AAU and USSSA team finished second in the Swinging Summer Fun baseball tournament in Thomasville.
Carson’s Dallas Long and Christopher Hill combined to throw a no-hitter against the Wallburg Warriors. Tom-Tom Farmer had two hits for the Cougars in a 7-1 victory.
Brandon Sloop had two hits, including a homer, to lead the Cougars to a 7-5 victory against the East Chatham County All-Stars.
The Cougars overcame a 9-1 deficit by scoring 13 runs in the third inning and beat the Young Guns 14-9. Farmer, Gabe Peeler and Harrison Bell led a 13-hit attack with two apiece. Bell homered.
The Cougars lost 9-4 against the BBC Patriots in the championship game. Peeler, Bell and Heath Mitchem had two hits each.
The Cougars batted .410 in the tournament. Other team members are Harrison Baucom, Ross Hoffner, Donte’ Means and Braxton Peele. Coaches are Dale Peeler, Randy Bell, Nathan Peeler and Dale Hill.
– Clement advances
West Davidson golfer Justin Clement shot 70-70 รณ 140 and tied for second in the North Carolina Trusted Choice Big “I” Junior Classic held at Southern Pines.
Clement qualified for the Big “I” national finals to be held August 2n7 at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst.
– Dula places second
Caroline Dula finished second in the 14-18 age group in the National Junior Golf Club tournament held at Statesville Country Club on Monday.
Dula, a rising sophomore at Hank Haney Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, S.C., shot 89.
– Corbin Ladies
The Corbin Hills Ladies Golf Association played a low net, throw-out-two-holes event on Tuesday.
Carolyn Ries won low net. She was followed by Gail Capone, Cindy Carmazzi and Mary Seaford.
Jean Hill and Shirley Baucom tied for fifth. Beth Calhoun, Miriam Gruber and Toni Iossi tied for seventh.
Wanda Sanders won low putts.
– Bobby Jackson golf
The Bobby Jackson Golf Tournament will be played Saturday at 2 p.m. at Crescent.
The cost is $65 per person and limited spaces are still available. The format is four-man Captain’s Choice, and there are various prizes for Longest Drive, Putting Champion, and Closest to the Pin.
Two players will have a chance to sink a putt from 50 feet to win $5,000.
All proceeds go to the V Foundation this year. See the web at www.crescentgolfclub.com or the V Foundation Web site. Contact Chris Sifford at 704-202-6979 or Chris Corriher at 704-467-2252.
– Nianouris, Smith shine
Local golfer Alex Nianouris fired a 2-under 70 to claim top honors in the boys 14-15 age group at Old North State Club in the Old North State Junior Championship.
Nianouris carded seven birdies on the 6,700-yard layout. He finished tied for second overall.
Salisbury’s Lauren Smith captured the girls division with a 75 on a 5,800-yard layout.
– Salisbury Rec softball
The Salisbury Recreation Department is now taking teams for both the men’s open and men’s church leagues.
Those leagues begin Aug. 11. Contact Steve Clark at Hall Gym at 704-638-5289.
– Basketball camp
Former WNBA star Andrea Stinson is conducting a basketball camp in Statesville for rising 7th-12th graders on July 28-Aug. 1. Camp is from noon to 4 p.m. each day.
The cost for the week is $50. Contact Ruta Usry at 640-8093 or Glenn Usry at 433-2197.
– Pfeiffer hoops camp
Pfeiffer Falcon Basketball camp has been moved one day to Aug. 5-8 (due to a graduation ceremony) and still has openings. The camp is for girls and boys ages 6-17 and is designed for fun and fundamentals. The cost is $125 and includes lunch each day, swimming in the Pfeiffer pool, and a camp T-shirt.
Download a brochure from falconsports.com, or e-mail dave.davis@pfeiffer.edu or call 704-463-3238.
– Kannapolis hoops camp
A.L. Brown basketball camp date is July 28-31. Camp runs from 9-1 each day at Kannapolis Middle School.
Cost is $55 for each week.
Contact A.L. Brown coach Shelwyn Klutz at 704-933-5241.