From staff reports
The Kannapolis Intimidators beat Hickory 4-3 on Wednesday at L.P. Frans Stadium.
Intimidators starter Myles Jaye set a career high with nine strikeouts. Max Peterson retired the final two batters to end the game and preserve the win.
Chris Curley hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the third inning, his seventh of the season.
Kannapolis and Hickory wrap up the four-game series tonight.
The Intimidators return to CMC-NorthEast Stadium on Friday for a four-game series against the Rome Braves. On Friday the Intimidators are giving away seat cushions to the first 500 fans courtesy of Time Warner Cable. For tickets, call the box office at (704) 932-3267 or visit www.IntimidatorsBaseball.com.
Ryan Query (A.L. Brown, Catawba) is a catcher for the Rome team.
The Intimidators are shaking up the promotional landscape in August by giving fans a chance to enter to win a Husqvarna RZ5424 zero-turn riding lawnmower, valued at more than $3,000.
Kannapolis Power Equipment is the sponsor. Beginning with the Intimidators next home game on Friday, fans can purchase raffle tickets, starting at $1 each or six for $5, for a chance to win the mower.
A portion of the proceeds will go to Communities in Schools.
Raffle tickets are only available at the information booth at Intimidators games during the month of August, and sales will end August 31. The winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, Sept. 1 as the Intimidators will raffle off several prizes in addition to the riding mower.
Whit Merrifield (Davie) had three hits, scored two runs and stole his 24th base in Wilmington’s 9-4 win against Winston-Salem on Wednesday. Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) hit a sac fly for Winston-Salem.
American Legion
Area III teams High Point and Randolph County both were victimized by grand slams on the first day of the American Legion state tournament in Lenoir on Wednesday.
Derrick Bracey hit a slam for Whiteville in a 14-6 win against Randolph.
Sam Foy’s slam helped Wilmington handle High Point 13-7. Joe O’Donnell, who had a 20-strikeout game earlier in the playoffs, pitched seven innings for Wilmington.
Sam Travis hit a walkoff homer for Cherryville in a 4-3 win against Apex in the day’s best game.
Host Caldwell County crushed Pitt County 14-1 in the nightcap.
Today’s games start at 9:30 a.m.
Randolph plays Apex and High Point takes on Pitt in the early elimination games. Whiteville battles Cherryville and Wilmington faces Caldwell in the winner’s bracket games.
East-West coaches
Coaches were announced on Wednesday for the 2013 N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star game.
Randy Raper of Wilson Hunt and Shane Laws of Asheville Reynolds were chosen as head football coaches.
Bill Boyette of Fayetteville Terry Sanford and Rob Bliss of Newton Fred T. Foard were named head boys basketball coaches.
Grady Williams of Weldon and Amber Fox of Morganton Freedom were named to lead the girls basketball squads.
Greensboro Grimsley’s Matt Martineau and Tarboro’s Leshaun Jenkins were named as head boys soccer coaches, with Deran Coe of Wake Forest-Rolesville and Beth Luck of Asheboro leading the girls soccer teams.
Sherri Tynes of Wilmington Laney and Tony Marshburn of Jacksonville Northside were named the girls and boys head basketball coaches for the annual North Carolina/South Carolina all-star games.
East assistant coaches for the football game include former Catawba QB Ken Avent (James Kenan), Jim Bob Bryant (Havelock), Jeff Gould (SW Edgecombe), Tyrone Johnson (Beddingfield) and David Lovette (Gray’s Creek).
West assistants for the football game will be Dale Barnes (West Davidson), Butch Carter (South Caldwell), Mike Johns (Mount Pleasant), Scott Johnson (Starmount) and Terry Radford (Hunter Huss)
Enloe’s Tommy Moore is the East assistant coach for boys basketball, while Albemarle’s Al Andrew is the West assistant coach.
Assistant coaches for the girls basketball game are Pasquotank’s Janie Cofield for the East, and North Stanly’s Greg Speight for the West.
Local golf
In the eGolf Tour’s Championship at Woodside Plantation in Aiken, S.C., Salisbury’s Frank Adams III shot 70 in the first round and is tied for 19th.
Gordon Strother broke the course record with a 61.
n In stroke-play qualifying for the North Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship at Forest Oaks in Greensboro, Roy Dixon III shot 74 and tied for 51st.
Alex Nianouris shot 79 to tie for 92nd.
The field will be cut to the low 32 golfers after today’s round.
In the Carolinas PGA Senior Professional Championship at Charlotte’s Pine Island Course, Kannapolis’ Rick Lewallen posted four birdies on the back nine and shot 65 on Wednesday.
He’s the tournament leader after two rounds at 9-under 133.
Lewallen had just returned from a Senior British Open qualifier in Scotland.
The Country Club of Salisbury men’s Senior Interclub team defeated Willow Creek 25-11.
The 6th annual “Saving Grace” Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament will be held at Corbin Hills on Saturday, Sept. 22.
Team “Saving Grace” is hosting the tournament in order to raise money for research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.
Team “Saving Grace” was established in honor of 10-year-old Grace Hodge who is one of at least 15 children in Rowan County that suffers from CF. All proceeds from the tournament go directly to CF Foundation, with more than 90 cents of each dollar going to fund research.
The event is Captain’s Choice. The cost is $50 per person or $200 per team. Lunch is included in the entry fee and will be provided at 12:30.
There will be a putting contest at 1 p.m., plus door prizes.
Individual and corporate sponsorships are welcomed.
Contact Susan Linza at 980-234-2958 for additional information.
Local runners
In the Grandfather Marathon, Anthony Nero, 33, finished 28th in 3:35, while Martin Thorne, 46, finished 37th out of 362 runners in 3:39.
The Grandfather Mountain Marathon is advertised as the “hardest marathon in the U.S.”
Nero ran an 8:12 mile pace, while Thorne ran at an 8:23 pace.
The race started at Appalachian State’s football stadium and finishing at the Highland Games at an elevation of 4,279 feet.
The total climb over the 26.2 miles was 1,919 feet.
Youth track
Parker Westbrook of the Hurley YMCA Warriors is competing in the 9-year-old division in the AAU Junior Nationals in Houston.
He ran the 1500 meters in 6:13.38 and finished 49th.
Softball tryouts
Rowan Rage 12U and 14U girls softball tryouts will be held at Rockwell Elementary on Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Call 704-202-5094 for more information.
College baseball
Appalachian State announced on Wednesday that hitting coach Chris Moore will remain on the new coaching staff and has been promoted to the role of recruiting coordinator.
Fall baseball
Registration for China Grove youth baseball and softball fall leagues is under way at Dale’s Sporting Goods in China Grove.
Early registration fee is $40 through Aug. 18.
After Aug. 18, cost is $50.
Leagues offered are Coach Pitch baseball (ages 5-6 and ages 7-8), baseball (ages 9-10 and ages 11-12), softball (ages 5-6-7, ages 8-9-10 and ages 11-12-13).
Contact James Solomon at 704-857-1439 or e-mail ymcanewhouse@yahoo.com.
Spencer
Registration for Spencer Little League/Franklin Ellis Pee Wee League baseball will be held on Fridays, Aug. 3 and 10 from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturdays, Aug. 4 and 11, from 9-12. Register at 8th Street Ballpark.
Contact William Noles at 704-633-0151 or Rodney Goodine at 704-636-7088 or Craige Farmer at 704-216-7783 for information.
Registration is for ages 4-14. Cost is $30. Leagues are Coach Pitch, B, A and Junior. Register online at www.eteamz.com/spencerlittleleague1.
Rowan
Rowan Little League is taking sign-ups through Aug. 24 at Godley’s Garden Center for fall baseball and girls softball leagues.
Online registrations are accepted at http://www.rowanlittleague.com.
Fall ball is for ages 3-14. Cost is $50. Baseball ages are as of April 30, 2013, and softball ages are as of December 31, 2012. Games begin after Labor Day.
Pre-T-Ball for ages 3 and 4 will be included.
Contact Wade Furches at 704-633-2873 or Jeff Bernhardt at 704-326-5255 for information.