From staff reports
West Rowan’s baseball team couldn’t overcome four errors and lost 12-5 to visiting Wilkes Central in a non-conference game played on Thursday in Mount Ulla.
Wilkes Central (11-0) is still undefeated. The Falcons (6-7) led 3-1 early, but the visitors took control of the contest with a three-run third.
West managed five hits. Louis Kraft and Hunter Teeter socked doubles, while Michael Pinkston, Chase Laing and Tyler Stamp had singles.
Kraft drove in two runs.
Justin Evans (1-4) pitched four innings and took the loss.
Perry Lowe led the Eagles with three hits, including a double and a triple. Wilkes Central pounded out 17 hits.
NPC games involving county teams tonight are East Rowan at Carson and West Iredell at South Rowan.
It’s a must-win for both East (5-5, 3-2) and Carson (8-4, 3-3) as far as finishing on top in the NPC regular-season race. East ace Bradley Robbins will likely pitch against Carson’s unbeaten Josh Martin (4-0).
East won an early matchup of the teams in Granite Quarry 1-0 in eight innings, including seven shutout innings by Robbins.
East owns a well-documented, 14-game winning streak against the Cougars, and Carson is coming off a surprising loss to North Iredell (5-6, 2-4) on Tuesday.
South Rowan (7-6, 3-3) gets a shot at NPC frontrunner West Iredell (7-2, 5-1). It’s a chance for a breakthrough win for the Raiders and would propel them right into the race.
West Iredell dominated South in their first meeting, but the Raiders don’t expect to see WI ace Sean Grant tonight. He pitched six innings Tuesday when WI moved into sole possession of first place with a home romp against West Rowan (5-2 NPC).
In the YVC, North Rowan looks for an upset at first-place South Stanly.
In the CCC, Salisbury has improved a great deal recently and is at home against Central Davidson.
Justin Smith’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh lifted West Davidson (9-5) to a 2-1 win against Wheatmore on Thursday.
Jayvee baseball
West Rowan’s jayvees, coached by Brandon Earnhardt, stayed undefeated with an 8-2 win against Wilkes Central on Thursday. Omar Bautista was the winning pitcher for the Falcons (12-0, 7-0 NPC). Micah Marsh had a two-run double, and Tyler Poteat had a run-scoring triple.
The Greater Cabarrus Homeschool Stallions lost 9-6 to the South Stanly jayvees on Thursday. Caleb Threadgill had three hits for the Stallions (6-5). Noah Jarrett had two hits.
Prep track
Carson’s boys scored 92 points and won a track meet at East Rowan (80). South Rowan (16) also was in the meet.
Carson’s Zach Blythe swept the dashes, winning the 100 (11.15), 200 (23.3) and 400 (52.64) and running on the first-place 4×400 team (3:38.53).
Myquon Stout swept the throws, taking the shot (50 feet, 11 inches) and discus (134-10).
Rodney Richards won the 300 hurdles (42.64), placed second in the 110 hurdles, and ran on the winning 4×400 team.
Darius Gardner won the high jump and was second in the long jump. Nathan McMasters was second in the 800 and 1600. Jacob Fink won the 3200 (10:21). Dontae Gilbert and Spencer Isaac teamed with Gardner and Richards on a 4×200 win (1:35.36).
Cole Honeycutt won the 1600 (5:04) and 800 (2:10) for the Mustangs.
Raykwon Torrence won the long jump (20 feet, 41/2 inches). Hakeem Gittens took the triple jump (43-8). Marshall Shank won the pole vault (13-0). Chase Brown won the 110 hurdles (16.13).
East’s Conor Honeycutt, Graham Lyerly, Cole Honeycutt and Brad Oden won the 4×800 (8:49).
East’s Justin Smith, Torrence, Chris Patterson and Gittens won the 4×100 (45.21).
South’s lone winner was Tavadis Wesley in the high jump (6-0).
The Rowan County Meet is set for Monday, April 2, at South. Field events begin at 4 p.m.
Prep girls soccer
North Rowan’s girls soccer team, coached by Sallie Hundley, rolled to a 7-0 win against South Davidson in YVC play on Thursday.
Meredith Sokolowski scored five goals for the Cavaliers (6-4-1, 5-2-1).
North led 4-0 at halftime.
“We came out very aggressive and got a quick goal from Meredith to set the tone for the night,” Hundley said.
Dakota Honeycutt and Daisy Lemke also scored for North.
“This is the best overall game we’ve had,” Hundley said. “Our defense did an excellent job of shutting South Davidson’s offense down, and the middle play of Honeycutt and Jaylynn Ellington really helped to set the pace.”
Prep boys tennis
South Rowan’s boys tennis team blanked North Iredell 9-0 for an NPC victory.
Jared Waters, Reynold Sanchez, Trevor Burrow, Jacob Ouellette, Eddie Chavez and Austin Todd took the singles matches.
Waters-Sanchez, Burrow-Caleb Barnette and Ouellette-Chavez were the winning doubles combinations.
Prep boys golf
Salisbury shot 146 at Sapona and won a CCC golf match on Wednesday.
West Davidson was second at 151.
Clark Alcorn’s 35 led the Hornets.
Troy Beaver, Alex Nianouris, Eric Edwards and Joseph Rusher all shot 37s, while Alex Lee shot 41.
Andrew Kahn’s 35 led the Green Dragons. Nathan Curry carded a 37.
After two matches, Salisbury holds a 10-shot lead on West Davidson in the season race.
On Thursday, the Hornets shot 291 and nipped Forsyth Country Day by a stroke in an 18-hole match at Forsyth Country Club.
Edwards fired a sizzling 68 to lead SHS. Nianouris (72), Beaver (75) and Alcorn (76) were the other scorers.
Gray Townsend’s 71 led FCD.
Local golf
Elliot Gealy (Salisbury) shot a second-round 69 and is tied for 13th at 3-under 141 in the eGolf Tour’s River Run Classic being held in Davidson.
The cutline was even par 144. Will Collins (Salisbury) just made the cut, shooting a second-round 77 after a sizzling 67 on Wednesday.
The Irish Creek Collegiate tournament starts today with practice rounds and a long drive contest.
Teams, including defending champ Duke, will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday.
Middle schools
Baseball
West Rowan beat Southeast 10-5 in five innings on Thursday.
Lee Poteat belted a grand slam and had five RBIs for the Bulldogs (3-1).
Brian Ketchie allowed only one hit and struck out four. Ketchie, Zach Shaver and Brandon Walton also had multiple hits.
West plays Knox on Monday.
Girls soccer
Knox stayed unbeaten with a 3-0 win against Corriher-Lipe.
Katie Bullock, Lainy Slate and Nellie Brown scored goals for coach Shelley Briggs’ Trojans (3-1).
Southeast’s girls beat West Rowan Middle 2-0.
Scoring for the Patriots (3-1) were Michelle Flores and Katie McClain. Josiea Robinette had an assist.
Defensive player of the game was Alexa Escobar.
Erwin’s girls lost 2-0 at Mooresville. Devynne Brown was Player of the Game.
Boys soccer
Arturo Ramirez had a hat trick as Knox beat Corriher-Lipe 4-2.
Diego Beltran also scored for Knox (1-3).
Ramirez, Andres Cervantes and Josh Lynch had assists for coach Luke Barker’s team.
Southeast’s undefeated boys beat West Rowan Middle 10-1.
Raunel Vasquez scored twice for the Bulldogs (4-0), and Pedro Perez, Brandon Flores, Ricky Maldonado, Michale Rosas, Danny Nava, Erick Benitez, Bryan Fragoso and Carlos Cortes scored a goal apiece.
Flores, Perez and Braxton Rogers had two assists apiece.
Erwin’s boys lost at Mooresville 1-0. Player of the Game for the Eagles was Jacob Mishak.
Boys tennis
Undefeated Sacred Heart beat Forsyth County Day 5-4. Winning in singles for the Dolphins (4-0) were No. 1 seed Spencer Storey, Walker Latimer, Justin Boyd and Ben Roy.
Storey-Latimer teamed for a doubles win.
Southeast defeated West Rowan Middle 9-0. Singles winners were Graham Purcell, Hunter Carlton, Jared Javurek, Landon Perkins, Deven Youker and Cameron Bisbe. Doubles wins came from Purcell-Carlton, Javurek-Perkins and Youker-Bisbe.
Erwin’s tennis team beat Mooresville 8-1 for the Eagles’ third victory of the season.
Winners in singles for Erwin were Chance Brown, Logan Shuping, Robert Gray, Ike Emerson, Anthony Morrow and Timmy Kane.
Doubles winners were Brown, Shuping, Emerson, and Gray.
Intimidators baseball
The Kannapolis Intimidators will host a special ceremony at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium on Tuesday, April 3, at 10 a.m. to announce a new stadium naming rights agreement.
College baseball
Catawba is 10th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II poll, while Tusculum has jumped all the way to third.
North Alabama is ranked No. 1.