From staff reports
Carson’s baseball team is still hanging in the NPC race.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Cougars beat Statesville 3-2 Tuesday night in China Grove.
Tyler Freeze’s RBI double snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth.
Jesse Park allowed two runs in the first inning, including a leadoff homer by Ethan Suarez, but he pitched very well after that.
Gunnar Hogan (3-for-3) and Joseph Basinger knocked in runs for the Cougars in the bottom of the first inning.
Park was relieved by Weston Snow in the sixth frame, and Snow recorded two big outs. Will Misenheimer got the third out of the inning, stranding runners at second and third.
After Freeze knocked in Hogan to give the Cougars (6-1, 4-1) the lead in the bottom of the sixth, Misenheimer set down the Greyhounds 1-2-3 in the seventh.
“It was nice to see Hogan come out of his slump,” Carson coach Chris Cauble said. “It was also nice to see us make just one error instead of making them in bunches.”
* Russell Michalec’s two homers, his second and third of the season, were the only highlights for Salisbury in a 21-4 CCC loss to Ledford. The Panthers piled up 11 runs in the fifth inning.
“Our youth is showing in situations where we need to stop a run, and we just can’t seem to do it,” Salisbury coach Scott Maddox said. “We couldn’t catch or pitch today and couldn’t come up with a routine play to get ourselves out of innings. It’s embarrassing. There’s no excuse to get beat that bad.”
* North Rowan coach Rob Linder can feel Maddox’s pain. The Cavaliers, who also are still seeking their first victory, didn’t manage a baserunner as Central Davidson lefty Cody Beck tossed a five-inning perfect game. Central cruised 13-0 in the CCC contest.
Dakota Brown took the loss for North. Brett Woodard had three hits for the Spartans. Beck, UNC commit Chaz Frank and Trevor Leonard had two each.
“We scored four in the first to take some of the steam out of them, and we just didn’t do anything wrong all night,” Central coach Jonathan Brown said.
* Ryan Coleman (4-0) notched another victory as East Davidson beat Providence Grove 5-4 for a CCC win. Jesse Cooper and Davin Lawson had two hits each.
* Jordan Hudson drove in three runs as West Davidson cruised to an 11-1 CCC victory over Lexington.
* Davie got a big CPC win, knocking off North Davidson 7-5. The War Eagles (6-2, 2-0) got two RBIs each from Carson Herndon and Jacob Vernon, Shelton Howard (3-1) was the winning pitcher. The losing pitcher was Jordan Ramsey, who pitched a terrific game against East Rowan last Wednesday.
* A.L. Brown lost 5-4 in 11 innings to Concord in SPC action.
Eighteen Wonders struck out, and coach Empsy Thompson said his team missed numerous chances to put the game away.
Sophomores Quin Gill and Zach Jones swung the strongest bats for the Wonders.
* Ian Walters pitched Mooresville to a 10-3 NPC victory against West Iredell. Brett Compton went 4-for-4. Jacob Mays went 3-for-4.
* Tyler Lewis pitched Lake Norman to a 9-3 NPC win against North Iredell. Eric Manser and Kevin Gradert had two hits each. Nick Lomascolo homered.
– Prep tennis
Salisbury’s boys tennis team won 9-0 against Central Davidson in a CCC match Tuesday.
Steven Page, Austin Flynn, Alan Lebowitz, Seth Gentry, Wes McNeely and Alex Weant were victorious in singles. Flynn-Lebowitz, Page-Weant and Gentry-McNeely prevailed in doubles.
Salisbury (7-1, 5-1), Ledford and Lexington all have one loss in CCC play. The Hornets beat Ledford, which defeated Lexington. Lexington handed the Hornets their only loss.
– Jayvee baseball
West Rowan led early 6-0 and finally outlasted South Rowan 7-6 Tuesday. South had the tying run thrown out at the plate to end the game.
Matt Miller was the winning pitcher for West (2-4, 2-3). Miller and Steven Wetmore had two hits each.
– Middle school baseball
Erwin’s baseball team won 17-6 against China Grove.
Erwin trailed 5-4 after three innings but scored nine times in the top of the fourth.
Tyler L’Hommedieu, who was the winning pitcher, had two hits and scored three runs. Justin Burroughs had two hits and five RBIs, and Chance Mazza scored three runs. Connor Johnson had three RBIs.
Connor Bridges had two hits for China Grove.
* Southeast topped North Rowan 9-2 behind the pitching of Greg Tonneson and Justin Evans.
Tonneson, K.J. Pressley, Dillon Atwell and Joseph Gray had two hits apiece for the Patriots (2-0, 1-0). Evans had a double.
– College baseball
Ryan Query (A.L. Brown) homered and went 4-for-5 to lead Catawba to a 9-5 victory against Belmont Abbey Tuesday at Newman Park. Catawba (19-9) has won eight of its last nine games.
Kevin McMillan (North Rowan) had three hits for the Indians, including a two-run double. Corey Parker had a two-run single. Craige Lyerly (East Rowan) homered. Josh Hohn had two hits and two walks.
Alex Fairweather (2-1) picked up the win, scattering four hits and three walks.
Caleb Shore (South Rowan) was 1-for-1 with a sac fly for the Crusaders.
* Will Davis (North Stanly) had four RBIs to pace Pfeiffer to a 6-5 win against Tusculum. It was the first home loss of the season for the Pioneers.
– Legion baseball
Ronnie Bost has stepped down as the head of the Concord American Legion program.
He’s been replaced by Justin Ridenhour, 23, who was a fine player for Central Cabarrus, Concord’s Legion squad and Pfeiffer.
Ridenhour is the coach at Mount Pleasant Middle.
Jaymie Russ, a standout for Northwest Cabarrus, Concord Legion and Belmont Abbey and for several years a pitcher in the minor leagues will assist.
– College football
Catawba’s annual Blue-White Spring Game is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Saturday.
– Prep football
Glen Padgett was Concord’s logical choice to replace E.Z. Smith as football coach.
Padgett was a long-time Concord assistant who got his first head-coaching shot at Salisbury in 1998. He was 1-10 at the helm of the Hornets, but he was very successful after moving on to Northwest Cabarrus a year later and continued to have success at North Meck. He’s been at North Meck since 2002.
– College tennis
The Catawba-Newberry matches scheduled for today were moved to April 14 because of expected bad weather.
– College golf
Catawba’s women finished fifth at the Hargett Invitational. Pfeiffer shot 637 to take the team title. Catawba shot 666. Kelsey Babos led Catawba with a third-place finish. She had rounds of 75 and 78 ó 153.
– Middle school soccer
Amber Ritchie converted a PK and Erwin’s tough defense made it stand up for a 1-0 victory against China Grove Monday.
Erwin played without keeper Megan Edmonds (broken finger), but Courtney Lyerly stepped into that role and was the player of the game.
– Prep track
East Rowan (106 points) topped Mooresville (83), Lake Norman (72) and Carson (11) in boys track Tuesday at Lake Norman.
Phenom Daishion Barger won four events and broke the school record (14.0 seconds) in the 110 hurdles. Barger also won the 100 (10.64), 200 (22.15) and long jump (20 feet, 3 inches).
Other winners for the Mustangs were Ross Oden (10:48, 3200), Keith Leonard (14-0, pole vault), Nathan Robbins (47-8, shot) and Ben Hancock (53.22, 400).
Justin Holshouser, Hancock, Evan Hiatt and J. Michael Shuping won the 4×400 relay in 3:41.
* Finishing second for East were Evan Webb (12-0, pole vault), Robbins (120-8, discus), Joseph Furtado (54.16, 400) and Shuping (2:11, 800).
* Shaun Warren led Carson. He was second in the 100 (11.25).
– Middle school golf
China Grove edged West Rowan 204-217 in a match at Foxwood Tuesday.
Alex Austin led China Grove with a 44. Other leaders for the Red Devils were Evan Neas (49), Geran Hill (55) and Zack Pruitt (56).
Jake Kennedy of West was medalist with a 36. Other West scorers were Colton Sherrill (56), Clay Cranford (61) and Tray Brawley (64).