From staff reports
Catawba’s baseball team used a six-run fifth inning to beat 11th-ranked USC Aiken 6-3 at Newman Park on Wednesday night.
Ryan Bostian (South Rowan) had a three-run double to lead the Indians (33-10).
John J. Tuttle (A.L. Brown) pitched three shutout innings in relief to earn his third win.
Nate King started on the mound and lasted until the fourth. Craig Brooks picked up his second save.
Ethan Satterfield started Catawba’s big inning with a homer. Four walks preceded Bostian’s double, and Brett Underwood knocked in Bostian with one of his three hits.
Bryan’s Billy Veal (North Rowan) homered twice to lead the Lions to a 9-8 win against Lee on Tuesday. It was the third time this season Veal has hit two homers in a game.
Newberry took advantage of four errors and beat Pfeiffer 6-2 on Wednesday at Ferebee Field.
Appalachian State’s Trey Holmes (East Rowan) had a two-run double in a loss to Gardner-Webb on Tuesday.
Appalachian State announced the signing of three right-handed pitchers — Blake Burkett (Georgia), Caleb McCann (NE Guilford) and Amos Wilmoth (West Stokes).
Justin Roland (East) doubled twice for Charlotte in a 12-7 loss to Wake Forest on Wednesday. Corbin Shive (East) went 1-for-3 for the 49ers.
Caleb Shore (South) had a base hit and scored a run in Belmont Abbey’s 9-6 win against Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday.
Minor leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators rode a dominant start by Blair Walters to a 2-1 win against visiting Delmarva on Wednesday.
Walters pitched shutout ball for six innings and struck out 10.
Michael Johnson and Rangel Ravelo drove in the runs for Kannapolis (3-4).
Dylan Bundy, a touted Baltimore Orioles prospect, pitched three overwhelming innings for the Shorebirds. He fanned six and didn’t allow a hit.
Wilmington’s Whit Merrifield (Davie) doubled, scored a run and stole a base in a 3-2 win against Carolina on Tuesday.
Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) had a double and knocked in two runs as Winston-Salem routed Frederick 13-0 in Carolina League action on Wednesday.
Prep baseball
Salisbury lost to Orlando’s University High 12-4 in the Hall of Fame Classic in Florida on Wednesday night.
Nathan Foster had two hits for the Hornets.
Nine of the 12 runs the Hornets (3-13) allowed were unearned.
Parker McKeithan started on the mound and pitched five innings. He allowed two hits, four walks and no earned runs.
“Same old story with the walks and errors,” Salisbury coach Scott Maddox said. “When we play like we did tonight, we are going to take our lumps. We are still making the same type mistakes we were making at the beginning of the year, and that’s frustrating, but what can you do but keep working.”
Salisbury scored four times in the sixth, to creep within 8-4, but more shaky defense helped University pull away.
“The beauty of sports is the hope that the next game is going to be the masterpiece — the Picasso,” Maddox said. “But tonight we were more like Pinocchio.”
East Rowan lost 9-6 to Kernersville Glenn in nine innings at Staton Field on Tuesday.
“We hit a lot of balls hard, but Glenn is one of the best defensive teams we’ve played all season,” East coach Brian Hightower said.
East scored in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-all and force extra innings.
But Glenn scored four unearned runs in the top of the ninth. East got one in the bottom half.
Andy Austin hit his first homer of the season for the Mustangs and scored three runs.
“He hit that homer a ton,” Hightower said.
East (8-7) was held to four hits. Nathan Fulbright, Ashton Fleming and Chase Hathcock picked up a hit apiece.
Jared Mathis started on the mound for East and worked five innings. He struck out six and walked five. Hightower also used Bradley Robbins, Alex Bost, Curt Ward and Josh Gobble on the hill. Ward, the victim of four unearned runs in the ninth, took the loss.
East opens the F&M Bank Classic today at 10 a.m. when it takes on A.L. Brown at CMC-NorthEast Stadium. It might be a cold one.
West Rowan plays Northwest Cabarrus at 1 p.m. today. South Rowan plays Mount Pleasant at 4 p.m., and Carson is scheduled to play Robinson at 7 p.m.
For all the teams, it’s a welcome break from conference action.
The tournament in Kannapolis features four of the top five NPC teams, including league leader East. South, West and Carson are all contending for playoff berths.
Northwest Cabarrus and Robinson are the teams setting the pace in the SPC. Mount Pleasant is tied for third, while A.L. Brown is very much in the playoff chase.
“This is a chance to play against some very good competition and on a beautiful field,” Carson coach Chris Cauble said. “And it’s an opportunity for us to get our swagger back after some tough losses.”
College football
Livingstone’s football team will host the annual Black & Blue spring scrimmage on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Alumni Memorial Stadium.
The annual scrimmage will cap the 14 spring football practices that the Blue Bears have staged over the past three weeks.
College softball
Catawba’s softball team swept Wingate 1-0 and 8-1 on Wednesday.
Brittany Murray retired the final 15 batters and pitched a one-hitter for the Indians (30-15, 10-5 SAC) in the opener. She fanned six.
Doubles by Tara Gibbs and Kelsey Burgess scored Catawba’s run.
Catawba had eight straight hits in a seven-run sixth to take the nightcap. Lauren Lewis singled home the go-ahead run. Alli Justice had a two-run double, while Gibbs belted a three-run homer.
Rowan native Ally Blake hit her fifth homer of the season and knocked in three runs as UNC swept a doubleheader from UNC Greensboro on Wednesday.
N.C. State’s Morgan Peeler, who started her high school career at East Rowan, is 7-7 with a 2.57 ERA. Peeler pitched a complete-game 3-2 victory against Campbell on Wednesday.
College lacrosse
Catawba’s women’s lacrosse team fell 23-1 to Belmont Abbey on Wednesday. Kelsey Perusse scored for the Indians (2-9).
Local golf
Seventy-two GARS members played at Lexington Country Club this week.
Low ‘A’ flight player was Jack Swicegood with a net of 64.32.
Low ‘B’ flight player was Bobby Bryant with a net of 67.62.
Low ‘C’ flight player was Frank Rowell with a net of 66.58.
Low ‘D’ flight player with a net of 65.64 was Andy Griffin.
The 31st annual Edgar Welch Memorial Golf Tournament for Rowan women will be played on May 15 and 17 at Corbin Hills and the Country Club of Salisbury.
The tournament is open to all women with an established handicap at a Rowan golf club,
Entry blanks are available at local clubs. The fee is $55 and includes golf, cart, prizes and lunch.
The format is net Best-Ball twosome. Gross prizes also are awarded at the luncheon on Thursday.
Defending champions are Sharon Miller and Yvonne Barger.
The tournament is played in memory of Edgar Welch, golf professional and supporter of women’s golf in the area.
Edgar’s wife, Elaine, established the tournament to further interest in women’s golf.
Call Jo Shaw at 704-636-1592 for information.n The 17th annual Carl McCombs Memorial Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 5, at Corbin Hills. The format is four-man Captain’s Choice. A shotgun start is set for 2 p.m.
Cost is $60 per player. Fee includes golf, cart, prizes, lunch and hospitality pack.
Register at Corbin Hills.
Checks should be made payable to Kimball Lutheran Church. Proceeds benefit Kimball Lutheran, Kannapolis City School Educational Foundation and Cannon YMCA.
Contact Ed & Lisa Dunlow at 704-933-3802 or Dan & Brenda McCombs at 704-933-0244 for information.