From staff reports

UNC Greensboro’s Nick Lyerly, who starred at East Rowan, shot 4-under 68 in the first round of the 58th N.C. Amateur golf tournament being held at River Landing in Wallace.

Lyerly had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine. On the back, he made an eagle on a par-5 and made one bogey for 33-35 — 68.

Lyerly shot 35-37 — 72 in  Friday’s second round, with three birdies and three bogeys.  Lyerly is nine shots off the sizzling pace set  by Harrison Rhoades, who fired a 67 on Friday and a 64 in Thursday’s first round.

Michael Childress, a local golfer who graduated from Cannon School and is headed to the University of Richmond, shot 73-76 — 149, 5-over.

Logan Shuping, a former East Rowan standout who is now at East Carolina, shot 78-75 — 153, 9-over.

The cutline projected to fall at 149.

The third of four rounds will be played today.

Minor leagues

KANNAPOLIS —  Jhonny Santos had two hits and scored two runs, and Edward Cabrera allowed just five hits over seven innings as the Greensboro Grasshoppers beat the Kannapolis Intimidators, 7-1, on Friday.

Cabrera (3-6) allowed one run while striking out eight and walking one to pick up the win.

Greensboro took the lead in the first when it scored four runs.

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Former Catawba closer Bryan Blanton, 22, is headed to join the Pulaski Yankees in the Virginia mountains. That’s a short-season team in the Appalachian League.  Pulaski’s season starts June 19 at Danville, Va.

Blanton was picked by the Yankees on the 21st round in 2017 and had a strong debut, going 5-for-5 in save opportunities with a rookie league team.

He’s been in extended Spring Training.

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Former Catawba slugger Willl Albertson will be catching for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the short-season Northwest League.

Albertson, who will turn 24 in a couple of weeks, was a 21st-round pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2016. The Volcanoes started play on Friday.

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Another former Catawba slugger, Jerry Sands, has gotten hot in Double A ball  in recent weeks and is batting .236 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs. He’s also in the Giants organization.  •••

Zac Almond (Catawba) was the starting catcher for the Missoula Osprey in the Pioneer League on opening night Friday and had two hits and drove two runs. Almond was a 35th-round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2017.

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Former Catawba pitcher Michael Elwell will be pitching in California in the independent Pecos League for the Bakersfield Train Robbers.

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Tennessee’s Craig Brooks (Catawba) struck out three in two innings on Friday for the Smokies and lowered his ERA to 2.73.

Wood bat leagues

Lee Poteat (West Rowan, Catawba) broke out of a mini-slump with a run-scoring single on Thursday for the Springfield Sliders of the Prospect League. Poteat is batting .327 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

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Jackson Raper (Catawba) is batting .345 for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures League.

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Cameron Morrison (Catawba) is batting .391 with 12 RBIs  for the Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League.

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Jacob Nester (Catawba) is 8-for-24 for the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League.

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Joe Butts (Catawba) is playing for the Kernersville Bulldogs in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League. He has five RBIs in 11 games.

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Matt Honeycutt (South Rowan, Mars Hill) is playing for the Florence Red Wolves of the Coastal Plain League and is off to a 6-for-17 start (.353) at the plate.

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Hunter Shepherd (Catawba) is playing for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and has pitched in five games. He’s also hit a home run.

Heath Mitchem (Carson, Catawba) is recovering from labrum surgery but is  expected to join the Marlins as a DH the second half of the season.

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Riley Myers (Salisbury, Catawba) and D.J. Laxton (Catawba) are pitching for  the Holly Springs Salamanders in the Coastal Plain League.

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Many locals are competing in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.  

Among those who have seen action are Brandon Walton (West Rowan, Mars Hill) of the Concord Athletics; Henderson Lentz (North Rowan, Catawba), Ryan Jones (Salisbury, Belmont Abbey) and Pearce Wilhelm (West Rowan, Catawba) of the Lake Norman Copperheads, and Brandon White (North Rowan, Belmont Abbey), Brett Graham (West Rowan, Belmont Abbey) and Joe Harrison (North Rowan, Belmont Abbey) of the Mooresville Spinners.

Football

C.J. Cain (Carson, Catawba) is an offensive lineman for the Carolina Energy of the America Arena League. Carolina has a playoff game tonight in Richmond against the RoughRiders.

West hoops camp

Coach Mike Gurley’s famed West Rowan basketball camp will be held on June 18-20 and July 9-11.

The camp is from 9-1 daily. The cost is $60 and includes free lunch.

Guest speakers include KP Parks, Catawba head coach Rob Perron and Antwaun Thompson. Call Gurley at 704-798-2074.