From staff reports
West Rowanís Jake Kennedy shot a 73 to claim third overall in the state 3A Midwest regional on Monday. The performance qualified Kennedy for the state individual championship.
ěJake competed for a while,î West coach Mary Ann Martinelli said. ěHeís a very positive player.î
nPrep tennis
The first round of the prep tennis dual team playoffs will be played today.
In 2A, Salisbury (17-1) is home against West Stanly (11-1). The winner advances to play the Newton-Conover-Pisgah winner on May 10. Newton-Conover is still unbeaten.
In 3A, West Rowan (11-4) travels to Forestview (10-1). The winner advances to play the Hickory-Hickory Ridge winner on May 10.
Wild-card entry East Rowan (8-6) is at Morganton Freedom (10-6) in the first round. The winner advances to a May 10 matchup with the Asheville-West Henderson winner.
nPrep track
The CCC Track Meet is set for Salisbury on Wednesday.
Action starts at 2 p.m. Two of the stateís top sprinters ó Salisburyís Romar Morris and Lexingtonís James Drummond ó will compete.
nPrep baseball
The F&M Bank Classic announced its all-tournament team after the completion of a three-day, 12-game, eight-team round robin tournament played at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.
Named to the team were South Rowanís Eric Tyler, Carsonís Mitch Galloway, East Rowanís Luke Thomas, West Rowanís Hunter Teeter, Mount Pleasantís Grayson Atwood and Anthony Allende, Jay M. Robinsonís Brody Koerner and Dillon Ashburn, A.L. Brownís Dylan May and Caleb Jackson, and Northwest Cabarrusí Corey Seager and Weston Smith.
Mount Pleasant was the only team to go 3-0 during the tournament.
n Top-seeded Northwest Cabarrus won a thriller against No. 8 seed A.L. Brown in the first round of the SPC tournament on Monday.
Jarrin Hogueís walkoff homer lifted the Trojans to a 5-4 victory. Rob Bain (9-1) allowed a three-run homer but battled back to pitch a complete game.
ěWe pitched Rob because we just felt like it was super important for us to get back on track,î Northwest coach Joe Hubbard said. ěWe had lost three out of four going in.î
Hogue also had a key hit to start Northwestís three-run rally in the sixth.
The loss ended the season for the Wonders.
n In other first-round SPC tournament games played on Monday, No. 4 Robinson beat No. 5 Cox Mill 8-4; No. 3 Mount Pleasant topped No. 6 Central Cabarrus 13-3, and No. 2 Hickory Ridge whipped No. 7 Concord 10-4.
Semifinal action will be staged on Wednesday at Northwest Cabarrus, with red-hot Mount Pleasant taking on Hickory Ridge at 4:30, and the Trojans battling Robinson at 7 p.m.
A play-in game for the leagueís No. 5 playoff seed between Central Cabarrus and Cox Mill will be necessary. The teams split in the regular season and tied in the standings.
n In a YVC first-round game on Monday, No. 4 Albemarle outlasted No. 5 East Montgomery 12-11 on the strength of a walkoff homer.
Albemarle plays against top-seeded North Rowan today in a 4:30 semifinal at West Montgomery.
n The CPC tournaments gets started today at North Davidson with the 4 vs. 5 and 3 vs. 6 games.
Top-seeded Davie joins the action on Wednesday.
n NPC semifinal matchups are set for Wednesday at West Iredell.
Top-seeded East Rowan takes on South Rowan at 4:15 p.m., while West Rowan meets West Iredell at 7 p.m.
West Iredell was a 25-1 winner against Statesville on Monday.
West Rowan has to win the tournament to make the state playoffs.
The state playoffs are scheduled to begin on May 13.
n Salisbury goes into tonightís CCC contest at East Davidson in a three-way tie for second. The Golden Eagles, the Hornets and Central Davidson are all 6-3 in the league.
Central Davidson takes on first-place West Davidson tonight.
n Bryson Shepherd and Drew Kelly each had two RBIs as North Hills defeated Salem Baptist 5-3 on Monday. Kelly got the go-ahead hit in the top of the seventh on a two-run double.
Trent Gobble had a well-rounded day with 32/3 innings on the mound and three hits at the plate for the Eagles.
n Prep girls soccer
West Rowan fell 3-2 at Cox Mill Monday night in a non-conference road match.
Cox Millís Paige Doyle scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second half to make it 3-1. Toni Lucente scored on a pass from Allison Baucom with 13 minutes left.
ěWe didnít get the result we wanted tonight, but it showed me a few things we can work on going into North Iredell,î West coach Nick Brown said.
The Falcons (15-2, 11-0) travel to NPC foe North Iredell on Wednesday.
n Pro baseball
Hickoryís Christian Villanueva hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to hand the Kannapolis Intimidators their third walkoff loss in four games in a 3-2 decision played in Hickory on Monday night.
Villanueva had his second walkoff hit of the series off reliever Steven Upchurch.
In his first start of the season, Kannapolisí Paul Burnside tossed six innings and allowed two unearned runs on two hits while striking out four. Hickory starter Matt Thompson matched Burnside, allowing no earned runs.
Kannapolis (14-10) wraps up the series with Hickory today.
n Legion baseball
The South Rowan American Legion team will begin its season on Saturday, May 28, with a non-league game against High Point.
South begins its conference slate on June 1 at Stanly County and faces a stretch of four road games in four days. Southís first home conference game will come against Mooresville on June 6.
n Middle school baseball
Omar Bautista struck out 11 to lead West Rowan in a 8-6 win against previously unbeaten Mooresville.
Juan Garcia had three hits and Margarito Romero scored two runs for the Bulldogs. West (8-2) faces Mooresville again on the road today.
n NCHSAA honors
Albemarleís Nat Dunlap and Tarboroís Kearra Brinson will be recognized on Thursday in Chapel Hill as Clary Award winners for being the stateís top student-athletes.
Both will receive scholarships.
Brinson is a volleyball, basketball and track athlete.
Dunlap plays football, basketball and baseball for the Bulldogs. The quarterback was MVP of the 1AA football state championship game.