From staff reports
Mets reliever Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) pitched 12/3 scoreless innings in New York’s 5-4 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He took the mound in the sixth and lowered his ERA to 4.64 during his longest outing since April 19.
Parnell allowed two hits, issued one walk and struck out three batters: Blake DeWitt, Orlando Hudson and Casey Blake.
New York caught a break in the seventh when Mark Loretta’s grounder caromed off first base and went up in the air. A stumbling Daniel Murphy scooped up the ball and made a blind, behind-the-back flip to Parnell covering first base for the out.
– Rowan Rampage
The Rowan Rampage plays its final preseason football game at home Saturday at Knox Middle School.
The Rampage takes on the Morganton-based Burke Storm at 4 p.m.
Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for ages 6-13. Children under 6 get in free. Anyone bringing a case of bottled water for Rowan Helping Ministries will be admitted free.
Former Livingstone star D’Andre Hopper is back as the quarterback/kicker for the Rampage. Former West Rowan and Western Carolina standout Justin Davis returns as a wide receiver/returner.
Mark Sturgis, a standout at North Rowan and a track star at Appalachian State, is one of the top newcomers. He’ll return kicks and play free safety.
Scott Roby, Larry Bryant and Claude Tshiona coach the Rampage.
Rowan, the defending CCFL champion, opens the regular season at home July 25 against the Triangle Rattlers.
– Minor Leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators lost 9-6 at home against Lakewood in SAL action Wednesday.
Kannapolis, trailing 6-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, scored six runs before recording an out. Dan Black’s RBI triple tied the game and put the go-ahead run at third with no outs, but the Intimidators were unable to push him across.
Kannapolis (8-5) opened the frame with seven straight hits, including four consecutive doubles.
Lakewood retook the lead in the top of the ninth, scoring three unearned runs against Leroy Hunt (2-2). Hunt walked three, and a Jon Gilmore fielding error on a sacrifice bunt allowed an extra runner to reach. Hunt walked Brendan Akashian with the bases loaded to push across the go-ahead run.
Former Indiana University catcher Josh Phegley, the 38th overall pick in the recent amateur draft, has joined the Intimidators’ roster.
* Bristol’s Daniel Wagner (South) went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI groundout in a 4-0 win against Burlington in Appalachian League action Wednesday.
* Ogden’s Jerry Sands (Catawba) hit a grand slam in the second inning of a Pioneer League game against Great Falls. Sands had gone 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored through eight innings as Ogden built a 19-1 lead. The grand slam was his sixth homer of the season.
* Savannah reliever Tim Smith (Catawba) allowed four hits and two runs in two innings during a 7-3 loss to Lexington on Wednesday.
* James McOwen ran his hitting streak to 45 games with a single in the first inning for Single-A High Desert.
– Showcase baseball
West Rowan left-handed pitcher Zack Simpson and West infielder Hayden Untz are competing in the Perfect Game 17-under World Wood Bat Championships in Marietta, Ga.
Untz was 1-for-3 on Tuesday. Simpson is scheduled to pitch today against the Ontario Blue Jays.
– College baseball
Former Northwest Cabarrus infielder and Kannapolis Legion player Ryan Lazenby recently signed with Catawba.
Lazenby graduated from Northwest in 2008 and was away from baseball for a year. He was a student at Charlotte this past school year.
Catawba coach Jim Gantt said the Indians were interested in Lazenby coming out of high school and maintained contact with him and Northwest coach Joe Hubbard.
“Ryan knows a lot of the guys here, and he should fit in well,” Gantt said. “He and (Concord Legion standout) Michael Tancini will be living in a little house right through the woods from Newman Park.”
– West baseball camp
Session 1 of coach David Wright’s West Rowan Baseball Camp is July 14-16. Session 2 is July 28-30. Session 3 is Aug. 4-6.
Cost for a session is $65. The camp is for ages 7-14 and runs 9 a.m.-noon daily. Contact Wright at wrightdc@rss.k12.nc.us for info.