From staff reports

Top-seeded Carson plays at home tonight against North Gaston at 7 p.m. in the fourth round of the 3A baseball state playoffs.

The Cougars (26-2) are expected to send Deacon Wike (8-1) to the mound against the 12th-seeded Wildcats (22-5).

Carson has set a school record for victories in a season and will be trying to  advance to the regional championship series for the first time. The best-of-three regional championship series is May 21-25.

Also still alive in the 3A West bracket are third-seeded Alexander Central and 10th-seeded Marvin Ridge. The MR Mavericks knocked out No. 2 seed Crest on Tuesday.

The top four seeds in the 3A East bracket are still rolling, including top-seeded Wilmington New Hanover, Greenville D.H. Conley, Fayetteville Terry Sanford and Wilson Fike.

Carson head coach Chris Cauble piloted a West Rowan team to the state championship series in 2004 and assisted on East Rowan’s 1995 3A state champs.

Cauble is the all-time leader in head-coaching wins in Rowan County with 378, including 242 at Carson.

  

High school tennis

Salisbury (22-0) will take on Clinton (21-1) on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. at Burlington Tennis Park for the 2A dual team state championship.

High school softball

In a 4A fourth-round game played on Thursday, Mooresville (26-3) beat Hickory Ridge 9-3.

Ellie Goins homered for the third-seeded Blue Devils. Kali Morton pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts.

Ally Todaro socked two homers for the Bulls (18-8).

Mooresville advanced to the best-of-three regional championship series.

High school track

North Carolina A&T is hosting all the prep track state championships.

2A and 3A qualifiers will  compete on Friday, while 1A and 4A competition is on Saturday.

Mid. school soccer

West Rowan’s girls lost in the tournament championship game to Mooresville, 1-0.

Keeper Emily Kelly had seven saves for the Bulldogs and stopped a penalty kick.

Defensive standouts were Lesli Guerrero, Evelyn Kwitowski, Gabby Wood, Jayden Carter and Autumn Eller.

Mid. school baseball

Top-seeded Erwin won against second-seeded Mooresville, 7-3,  on Thursday at North Rowan High to take the championship game of the conference tournament.

Erwin went undefeated.

Erwin’s Chance Mako hit a home run and was named tournament MVP.

Rowan LL sign-ups

Junior/Senior Rowan Little League softball sign-ups for ages 13-16 are under way.

  Sign-ups are available online at www.rowanlittleleague.com.

All postseason tournaments are held in Salisbury.

Any questions, contact Dan Wales (336-409-6342), Jeff Bernhardt (704-267-1146) or Steve Yang (704-798-2071).

College softball

Hunter Gibbons (West Rowan) completed a great career at Western Carolina on May 10.

She’s the school record-holder with 35 homers, 129 RBIs and 298 total bases.

She’s second all-time for the Catamounts in runs scored with 109 and 35 doubles.

College baseball

UNC’s Ike Freeman (East Rowan)  hit his sixth homer of the season in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 5-3 win vs. N.C. State.

Freeman has 39 RBIs and is batting .284.

Intimidators

KANNAPOLIS —  Rubendy Jaquez hit a two-run double in the fifth inning, leading the Lexington Legends to a 6-1 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators on Thursday.

The double by Jaquez came in the midst of a five-run inning and gave the Legends a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Michael Gigliotti and Eric Cole hit RBI singles.

Davis Martin (3-3) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game after allowing five runs and five hits over six innings.

Ramon Beltre singled three times for the Intimidators.