From staff reports

KANNAPOLIS — West Rowan’s hitting slump ended abruptly with a 13-run fifth inning, and the Falcons rallied to beat Northwest Cabarrus in non-conference baseball on Wednesday, 16-5.

Trying to shake off Tuesday’s marathon loss to East Rowan, West trailed 5-3 when it erupted for seven hits, seven walks and one HBP in a wild top of the fifth. All the serious damage came with two men out.

Jake Perez had a two-run double and Cameron Graham had a two-run triple in the big inning. Daniel Durham’s double helped get the inning rolling.

Lead-off man Daniel Sell (1-0) had the best game for the Falcons. He went 3-for-3, scored three runs and was credited with the win on the mound.

Perez scored three runs. Steven Smith, Payne Stolsworth and Mike Molenda drove in two runs apiece for West (4-3).

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MOCKSVILLE — Baseball is the most unpredictable of games.

Ranked as the No. 1  team in the state and the No. 3 team nationally by MaxPreps, 4A Davie County lost to rising 2A power Oak Grove on Wednesday, 5-0 in 11 innings.

Davie (9-1) got six shutout innings from John Davenport, but Oak Grove’s Seth Polen was even better with eight scoreless frames.  The Grizzlies finally broke through against Davie’s Jacob Campbell in the 11th.

Oak Grove is coached by David Thomas, one of the all-time greats at Catawba.

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GRANITE QUARRY — East Rowan lost to a North Stanly team that is looking like one of the best in 1A on Wednesday.

North Stanly scored three runs in the seventh to snap a tie and beat the Mustangs, 6-3.  Bryson Wagner (0-2) walked Carson Lowder to start the winning rally for North Stanly (8-1), and Nic Melton drove him in for the decisive run with a single off Blake White.

Rhett Lowder was the winning pitcher and struck out 11.

Charlie Klingler had three hits for East, but the Mustangs (5-4) only had six as a team.

Jake Davis started on the mound for the Mustangs. Wayne Mize also pitched.

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CHINA GROVE — There have been a lot of pitching duels early this season, but Carson got its offense going on Wednesday in a 12-9 non-conference win against Robinson.

Carson trailed early, 5-2, but scored five times in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-5 lead and went on from there.  Luke Barringer did most of the damage for the Cougars (7-1), who won their seventh in a row. Barringer had a run-scoring double in the first and a two-run triple in the third. He had four RBIs.

Cole Hales had two hits and scored three runs. Zeb Burns had three hits and knocked in two.

On the mound, Carson used five hurlers. Aaron Misenheimer (2-0) got the win in relief. Barringer struck out the side in the seventh.

Collin Auten knocked in three for the Bulldogs.

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Cox Mill won another game for rookie head coach Parker Hubbard, the former South Rowan player who is guiding the Chargers this season.

Cox Mill pounded Mallard Creek, 11-4, on Wednesday.

Cox Mill scored eight runs in the fourth. CJ Hassel homered, while Nick Alderfer blasted two doubles.

HS soccer

THOMASVILLE —  South Rowan junior Madison Henry scored four goals to lead the Raiders to a 7-1 Central Carolina Conference win against Thomasville on Wednesday.

Henry has scored eight goals this season and 99 in her carer. The county record of 101 is held by Salisbury’s Emma Miller.

Novalee Johnson, Ambar Hernandez and Paige Chabala also scored goals for South (2-4, 2-4).

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KANNAPOLIS — West Rowan’s girls lost to Northwest Cabarrus on Wednesday in a non-conference matchup, 7-1.

Lejla Mehmedovic scored her 10th goal of the season for the Falcons (2-3-2). Ryley Corriher made 10  saves in goal.

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SALISBURY —  Salisbury’s girls soccer team stayed unbeaten on Wednesday.

Sutton Webb’s hat trick sparked the Hornets (8-0, 6-0) to a 6-0 win against Ledford in Central Carolina Conference play. She also had two assists.

Webb, a freshman, has scored at least one goal in every game. Lillie Rusher scored two goals, while Ellen Simons had one.

  Assists also were credited to Caroline Colwell, Anna Grace Woolly  and Rusher.

Caroline Clark recorded her sixth shutout in goal.

Salisbury got excellent play from Colwell, Olivia Dagenhart, Lila Harry and Madelyne Lawrence.

Salisbury returns to action Monday night on the road vs. East Davidson at Brown Middle School at 6 p.m.

HS tennis

Salisbury’s tennis team won again on Wednesday to stay undefeated and on top of the Central Carolina Conference.

The Hornets won against South Rowan, 9-0.

Salisbury plays two matches at home today, with Thomasville visiting at 3:30 p.m.

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West Rowan won against North Iredell, 9-0, in North Piedmont Conference tennis played on Tuesday.

Winners were Kevin Sullivan, Layton Butler, TJ Smith, Trevor Mervine, Alex Keadle and Steve Wilmot.

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North Rowan’s boys tennis team took two Yadkin Valley Conference matches from Albemarle on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers won 8-1 and 5-2.

Getting wins in singles were Hans Roemer,  J.D. Hager, Ray Montes, Terrance Settlemeyer,  Jared Hensley and Arizona Day.

Winning in doubles were Roemer/Hager and Montes/Garrett Jennings.

HS softball

KANNAPOLIS — West Rowan romped against Northwest Cabarrus on Wednesday, 16-2.

Reagan Haggas homered for the Falcons (5-1) and drove in three runs.

Taylor Walton did the pitching and struck out eight in the five-inning contest.

Kenadi Sproul had two hits and two runs. Mary Sobataka scored three times. Taylor Poole had a double and knocked in two. Hannah Roberts drove in two.

Batting at the bottom of the lineup, Allison Ennis had three hits, including a triple, and drove in two.

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MOUNT PLEASANT — Carson avenged an earlier loss to Mount Pleasant by crushing the Tigers, 20-6, on the road on Wednedsay.

Kary Hales went 5-for-5 for the Cougars and drove in five runs. Hales had a two-run double and a two-run homer.

Maci Cooper scored three runs. Ellie Wilhelm had two hits and scored four runs. Kaitlyn Honeycutt had two hits and two RBIs. Ashlyn Ellenburg had two RBIs. Katie Jewell had two hits and two RBIs. Skyler Smith had two hits and two RBIs.

Madison Anderson had two hits and also did the pitching for the Cougars (4-3). She allowed only one earned run.

•••

Salisbury lost a Central Carolina Conference game on Wednesday to Ledford, 11-0. Ellen Yang did the pitching for the Hornets and struck out five. Salisbury didn’t get any hits against two Ledford hurlers in the five-inning game.

• Salisbury’s game with East Davidson on Friday has been switched to a home game due to field maintenance at East Davidson.

•••

Davie County scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and beat Montour (Pa.) 12-11 in a wild softball game on Wednesday in Mocksville.

Shea Woody homered and drove in four runs for Davie. Caitlyn Sechrist had three hits and drove in two runs.

College lacrosse

SALISBURY—  Catawba shut out 15th-ranked Wingate in the final quarter and claimed a 13-9 win in South Atlantic Conference men’s lacrosse action on Wednesday night at Shuford Stadium.

The Catawba Indians (6-2, 3-0), who are receiving votes for the national poll, won their sixth straight.

Cole Fanzo scored five goals for the Indians.  Kevin Geiger posted 15 saves.

College tennis

  Catawba’s men (9-5, 2-1) fell to host Lenoir-Rhyne, 5-2, in South Atlantic Conference men’s tennis action on Wednesday afternoon at the YMCA of Catawba Valley.   

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  Catawba’s women (10-4, 1-2) lost   6-1 to Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday afternoon.

Catawba is at Mars Hill on Friday for a 1 p.m. match.

Local golf

  Sixty-one GARS members played at Rolling Hills earlier this week.

Low ‘A’ Flight player was Gary Schenk with a net of 62.08.

Low ‘B’ Flight player was Mike Sides with a net of 64.65.

Low ‘C’ Flight player was John Cress with a net of 66.95.

Low ‘D’ Flight player was Ralph Luther with a net of 65.32.

Low gross score was a 69 by Bernard Caldwell, while low net winner was  Schenk.

Caldwell, 71, shot a 69. Ken Miller, 83, shot an 81.

Caldwell made an eagle 2 on the No. 13 hole. Jerry Teeter eagled the Par-5 No. 3 hole.