Area Sports Briefs: Catawba baseball wins again
Published 12:36 am Wednesday, March 11, 2015
From staff reports
Catawba’s baseball team scored seven runs in the first inning and battered Shippensburg 16-4 at Newman Park on Tuesday.
The game was moved up from Wednesday due to weather concerns.
Ranked 28th, Catawba (16-4) has won 14 of 15 games since starting 2-3.
Catawba’s Blake Houston (South Rowan), Will Albertson and T.J. Wharton had three hits each for the Indians.
Albertson has 11 hits in his last three games. T.J. Wharton and Malachi Hanes homered.
Mike Marcinko had four hits, including a leadoff homer for the Red Raiders (3-8).
Connor Johnson (East Rowan) improved to 4-0 with the win. He allowed a run on four hits in five innings. He walked none and fanned six.
Albertson, Wharton, Hanes and Chance Bowden (Salisbury) drove in two runs each.
Catawba will host SAC co-leader Lincoln Memorial this weekend with the Indians only a half-game back in the standings.
The teams have shifted the series to a Saturday start with a 3 p.m. doubleheader. The Friday game has been moved to Sunday at 1 p.m.
• Houston was named the SAC Player of the Week after his outstanding weekend against Lenoir-Rhyne.
Houston batted .571 with eight hits and nine RBIs in four games.
Catawba golf
Catawba’s women’s team finished ninth out of 19 teams at the Hilton Head Lakes Invite.
Catawba shot rounds of 318 and 320 to post a 638 score. UNC Pembroke won with 606.
Alexis Kershaw, Madison Kennedy (Salisbury) and Anthea Gnielinski finished tied for 22nd with 158 totals to lead Catawba.
Catawba returns to action March 30-31 at the Agnes McAmis Memorial Tournament in Greeneville, Tenn.
Catawba tennis
Catawba men’s tennis team (7-5) fell 6-3 to Olivet Nazarene in Tampa on Tuesday.
• Charleston beat Catawba 6-3 in women’s tennis on Tuesday in Tampa.
Catawba is 5-6.
Prep basketball
Carson’s Sydney Huffman will continue her basketball career and education at Guilford.
She committted to the Quakers on Tuesday.
Huffman averaged 10 points a game for the Cougars this season.
NCHSAA
Kayla Jones of Riverside High and Jacque Brown of East Carteret won the NCHSAA Performance of the Week awards.
Kayla Jones led the Riverside women to a regional title and their second straight berth in the state championship game. Jones was the MVP of the Eastern Regional 1A event with 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Brown helped lead East Carteret to the NCHSAA 1A state championship game for the second straight year with 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 75-60 victory in the regional final.
Local golf
Fifty-seven GARS members played in foursomes at Crescent.
Low ‘A Flight’ player was Mike Harrigan with a net of 65.52. Low ‘B Flight’ player was Buddy Barger with a net of 66.99.
Low ‘C Flight’ player was William Saunders with a net of 65.50. Low ‘D Flight’ player was John Daniels with a net of 61.97.
7th-grade hoops
West Rowan Middle’s boys lost to Mooresville 44-43 when the Red Imps scored with two seconds left.
Quay Weeks had 18 points for the Bulldogs (-4), and Jay Joseph had 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Shawn Wilson led Mooresville with 11 points.
West Rowan Middle finishes the regular season Wednesday against North Rowan.
• Erwin’s girls beat Knox 58-42.
Maci Cooper scored 22 for the Mustangs. Adalie Harrison had 21.
For Knox, Anayia Fulson scored 16 points, and Katelyn Eller had 10.
Prep girls soccer
Salisbury’s girls improved to 2-0 by beating Ledford 2-0 on Tuesday.
Ceci Cardelle was under the weather but scored the first goal for the Hornets when she raced down the left side of the field, beat several defenders, and finished with a low shot past the keeper.
The assist went to Maria Capito.
In the second half, Nellie Brown assisted on a Katie Bullock goal.
Salisbury again got excellent play from the defense, especially center back Kathryn Rusher. Juliana Anderson had the shutout in goal.
“This was a classic example of making baby steps forward for this squad. We improved in areas, especially spacing and communication.”
Salisbury hosts Mt. Pleasant on Thursday at 6 p.m.
• East Rowan topped Concord 2-0 in SPC girls soccer on Tuesday.
Devynne Brown and Alana Miller had goals for the Mustangs.
Kelby Porter had an assist. Kennedy Lambert had the shutout in goal.
• West Rowan won 1-0 against South Rowan in SPC soccer on Tuesday.
Taylor Quinn scored the goal. Joanna Samano had the shutout in goal.
Prep softball
East Rowan won 19-0 against Concord in SPC action on Tuesday.
Shelby Benge homered for the Mustangs.
• In SPC games, Central Cabarrus won 9-2 against Hickory Ridge; and Northwest Cabarrus won 6-1 against Cox Mill.
• Davie County won 7-3 against Reagan in CPC action on Tuesday.
Prep baseball
East Rowan allowed a 6-0 lead to slip away and lost to Concord 10-7 in SPC action on Tuesday.
It was the first SPC loss for the Mustangs, the defending champs.
East Rowan scored six runs in the first inning but didn’t score again.
“We had all kinds of opportunities to build on the lead, but we didn’t,” said East Rowan coach Brian Hightower, who also watched his team drop a game to Concord early last season.
Joseph Peeler didn’t pitch badly for East Rowan, but he had thrown 95 pitches after five innings and Hightower turned to his bullpen with a 7-4 lead.
Concord rallied with a combination of soft hits and errors against reliever Alec Hamilton.
“I don’t think they hit a ball hard, but they got a big single that bounced up the middle and we didn’t make some plays,” Hightower said.
Samuel Wyrick swung the bat well again for the Mustangs. He’s been on a tear early in the season.
In the seventh, Wyrick hit a sharp liner that caromed off the Concord third baseman’s wrist directly to the shortstop, who made the game-ending play.
East Rowan will try to bounce back Friday against Hickory Ridge.
• River Ryan pitched North Meck to a 13-3 win against A.L. Brown in MECKA action on Tuesday.
•Hough won 5-1 against Hopewell in a MECKA game.
• North Rowan lost 7-5 to Statesville in Spencer on Tuesday in a non-conference matchup, a night after beating the Greyhounds on the road.
Noah Gonzalez had three hits for the Cavaliers and also did a decent job on the mound.
Travis Ramseur starred for the Greyhounds. He pitched a complete game and struck out eight.
• In other SPC games, Central Cabarrus beat Hickory Ridge 8-3, and Cox Mill topped Northwest Cabarrus 14-5.
• R.J. Reynolds pounded North Iredell 18-5.
Parks and Rec
Salisbury Parks and Recreation is taking registration for athletic programs.
A Men’s softball league coaches meeting is on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at Hall Gym.
• Registration for coed youth basketball for ages 3- 4 continues until March 28. The cost is $30.
• Registration for a youth flag football league for ages 5-14, lasts until April 4. The cost is $20
• Registration for a coed youth soccer league for ages 4-17, is open until April 6. The cost is $20.
Register at Hall Gym or online at www.salisburync.gov/play or call 704-638-5291.
College basketball
D-II regionals start on Friday. Catawba’s women play at Limestone Friday at 5 p.m. in Gaffney, S.C.
Livingstone’s men play at West Liberty at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.