From staff reports
Catawba clinched the SAC regular season baseball championship with a doubleheader sweep at Carson-Newman on Saturday.
The 21st-ranked Indians (32-8, 20-4) rolled 7-2 and 8-3 in Jefferson City, Tenn.
Chris Dula, a SAC Freshman of the Year candidate, had a huge second game. He went 4-for-4, including a grand slam, a three-run homer and a double.
Carson-Newman led 3-0 before Dulaís three-run bomb.
Freshman John Tuttle (A.L. Brown) pitched five innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He boosted his record to 5-1.
Wil Huneycutt racked up his sixth save.
J.J. Jankowskiís pitching dominated the opener. He fanned 13 in eight innings, six in a row in one stretch, and is now 7-1.
Garrett Furr and Austin Moyer singled home runs for an early 2-0 lead.
Josh Hohn hit a three-run homer and knocked in four. Furr, Brett Underwood and Blake Houston (South Rowan) had two hits each.
Catawba won the SAC regular season for the first time since 2008, although it won the league tournament in 2009 and 2010.
n Preston Troutman (East Rowan) went 2-for-4 in Appalachian Stateís 10-2 win against Furman on Saturday. Troutman and Trey Holmes (East) both knocked in runs.
n Libertyís Keegan Linza (North Rowan) pitched 62/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to High Point on Friday.
Linza (5-2, 2.78 ERA) allowed 10 hits and two earned runs.
n Charlotteís Justin Roland (East) and Ross Steedley (East) had hits and scored runs in a 9-2 win against St. Josephís on Saturday.
n Pfeiffer secured a berth in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Tournament in Wilson by sweeping Coker 1-0 (12 innings) and 4-0 in Hartsville, S.C.
Pfeiffer moved into fourth place behind the hurling of Eric Shuford, Luke Wilhelm and Bryan Tuttle.
n College track
In the annual Mountains (Western Carolina and Appalachian State) vs. Beaches (East Carolina and UNC Wilmington) competition held in Cullowhee on Saturday, local athletes performed well for Western Carolina.
Wayne Parker (East Rowan) was third in the javelin (171 feet, 2 inches) and sixth in the pole vault (13-91/4).
Ryan Pless (East) was sixth in the shot put (49-53/4), sixth in the discus (141-2) and seventh in the hammer throw (166-10).
Garrett West (NW Cabarrus) was second in the 1500 (3:57.49).
n College soccer
Catawbaís recruiting class includes Salisburyís Karen Presnell, West Rowanís Allison Parker and Brittany Gibbons, Mooresvilleís Courtney Smith and Ashley Cress, Katie Mathis (Hickory St. Stephens), Ashley Batchelor (Wilson Hunt) and Nicole Foschini (New Jersey).
Gibbons are Batchelor are forwards. Smith, Cress and Foschini are midfielders. Smith entered her senior season with 91 career goals.
Parker and Presnell are defenders, and Mathis is a goalkeeper.
n College lacrosse
Wingate earned home-field advantage for the upcoming Deep South Conference menís tournament with an 8-2 win against Catawba on Saturday at Shuford Stadium.
The 11th-ranked Indians fell to 9-3 overall and 4-2 DSC. The teams will play again on Tuesday at Wingate in the first round of the tournament.
n College softball
Catawba split Saturdayís doubleheader with Tusculum, winning 3-0 and losing 2-0.
Carly Sabat went 3-for-3 for Catawba (26-16, 9-5). Khourtni Hester and Kayla Myers homered. Catawba to the game one win.
Emily Huneycutt (14-7) tossed the shutout in Game 1.
n Livingstone (7-14) beat Morris 11-3 and 17-7 on Saturday.
Shaniqua Harrison had five hits and eight RBIs in the two games. Shannon Allen added two hits and three RBIs.
n Prep football
The 20th edition of the N.C. Prep Football News Yearbook will go on sale soon.
Head coaches can pick up a free copy at the N.C. Coaches Clinic Trade Show in Greensboro on July 18-20.
The price of the book is $10. Books will be on sale at the clinic and in stores. Those wishing to pre-order by mail can order a book for $15 ($5 shipping) or two for $25.
The mailing address is:
North Carolina Prep Football News
P.O. Box 613
Hamptonville, N.C. 27020
n Prep baseball
East Rowan threw up some unbelievable individual numbers in a 33-3, 28-0 doubleheader sweep of Statesville on Friday.
n Will Sapp and Justin Morris scored 10 runs apiece in the twin bill, with Morris scoring six times in the nightcap.
n Wingate-bound catcher Luke Thomas had a huge day, scoring eight runs and driving in eight.
n Chase Hathcock had five hits and seven RBIs.
n Andy Austin was 4-for-5 with five RBIs. Austin actually made an out, so he may not have been allowed to ride the bus back to Granite Quarry with his teammates.
n Avery Rogers knocked in six runs.
n Ashton Fleming, who only played in one game, went 4-for-4 with five RBIs.
n Some of the guys who donít play all the time also fared well. Gavin Wike went 2-for-2, and Roby Holmes was 3-for-3. Courtesy runner Evan Hiatt went 1-for-1 in his first AB of the season.
n Bradley Robbins and Jared Mathis benefited from the exceptional offensive support and picked up wins on the mound.
n Jayvee baseball
North Rowan defeated Salisbury 12-6 on Saturday.
Thomas Tucker and Denzel Price led the Cavaliers (7-4, 6-2 YVC) with three hits and three RBIs each.
Matt Tucker and Kevin Burnham had two hits each.
Travis Holshouser picked up the win, scattering hits, and also drove in three runs.
Skyler Mikkelson led Salisbury with two hits.
n Prep softball
Carson held off West Rowan 10-8 for an NPC win on Friday.
Sidney Grkman hit a home run for the third-place Cougars (3-3 NPC).
Catherine Whitley homered for the Falcons (2-4 NPC).
n Minor league baseball
Catcher Ryan Query (A.L. Brown, Catawba) made a surprising debut in Double A on Saturday with the Mississippi Braves and promptly crushed a home run to left field on his first at-bat.
Query went 2-for-2.
Query was playing against Jackson Generals infielder Kyle Seager, who was his American Legion teammate in Kannapolis.
n Jerry Sands (Catawba) belted his first Triple-A homer for Albuquerque on Saturday. It was a two-run blast and wonít be his last.
n It was a good night for lots of former Catawba stars. Chris Ahearn had a base hit for the Rome Braves.
n David Thomas (Catawba), who was recently released by the Oakland Aís, has signed with the independent Grand Prairie (Texas) Airhogs. Thatís the same team pitcher Zach Ward (A.L. Brown) inked with over the winter. The Hogs open May 12.
n Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) went 1-for-4 and scored for the Winston-Salem Dash in a 3-2 Carolina League win against Kinston.
n Middle school baseball
The North Hills middle school team won its first game of the season, beating Carolina International 4-0.
Will Cody pitched a shutout for the Eagles, allowing only two hits while striking out 11.
Wes Fazia led North Hills offensively, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
n Middle school soccer
In Knoxís 6-0 win against West Rowan, Hector Salinas scored two goals. Cristian Reyes, Felix Carillo, Kevin Chavez and Arturo Ramirez had one each. Ben Pearson, Matt Wooley, Diego Beltran and Josh Lynch were huge on defense.
n Local golf
The McCanless Couples played its Kickoff tournament for 2011 on Saturday.
Winning in a 4-man Captainís Choice format was the team of Ty and Beverly Cobb and Sharon and Matt Miller with a score of 11-under.
Placing second was the team of Allen and Tammie Drew, Kevin Thompson and Harry Owens.
Closest to the pin winners were Beverly Cobb and Gene Seaford. The longest putt winners were Beverly Cobb and Mary Seaford.