From staff reports

SALISBURY — Catawba’s softball team won a doubleheader at Whitley Field under unusual circumstances on Friday.

The Indians beat Coker  6-3 and 2-1 in eight innings —  with a roster of nine.

The Indians had 13 players shut down due to COVID contact tracing. Among others, the Indians played without starting third baseman Riley Tucker, second baseman Sommer Gray and first baseman Brittany Ireland.

Carlee Brawley, normally an outfielder, played second base in both games.Brooke Lowery, normally a reserve, played first base in both games.

Catchers Bailey Benton and Gracie Gibson   played a game each at third base.

Pitchers Madison Hunter, who hadn’t batted in college, and Brooke Walser, who hadn’t batted since making a handful of plate appearances in 2019, had to man right field.

Hunter (6-3) pitched a complete game in the 6-3 win and struck out nine.

Walser had a hit and scored a run, and the Indians got four RBIs from shortstop Jordan Dean. Hunter didn’t get a hit, but she walked twice in three trips to the plate.

In the extra-inning win, Walser had a hit. Hunter made two catches in right field and had an assist on a crucial out in the eighth.

Walser (13-4) pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts. Gibson and Allie Baker had three hits each. Benton doubled home Gibson with the deciding run in the eighth.

The sweep moved Catawba into third place in the South Atlantic Conference.

The regional field has been reduced from eight to six  this year due to  COVID,  but Catawba has a chance to make the field even if it doesn’t win the SAC tournament.

HS softball

OLIN — West Rowan romped 13-1 at North Iredell on Friday for  another North Piedmont Conference win.

Brooke Kennerly had three hits, including a homer and drove in five runs for the Falcons (8-1, 6-1).

Emma Clarke was 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs. Taylor Walton was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. KK Dowling was 2-for-2. Madilyn VonCanon had two hits. Kenadi Sproul had a triple.

Walton struck out 10 and held North Iredell to two hits.

West Rowan plays at Carson on Tuesday.

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PFAFFTOWN — South Rowan’s softball team won 11-7 at Reagan on Friday in a non-conference game.

South scored six runs in the seventh to pull it out.

Avery Crowell was the winning pitcher. She struck out four and allowed one earned run.

Kassidy Sechler had three hits. Clara Bean and Bailey Yon had two each. Yon had the tiebreaking hit in the seventh.

Zoie Miller had three RBIs, while McKinley Faw and Breanna Ramseur had two each.

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Carson and East Rowan have rescheduled a doubleheader for April 26.

HS girls soccer

Carson’s girls soccer team won 9-0 against East Rowan on Friday.

Makayla Borst and Hannah Isley scored four goals each in the NPC matchup.

Lindsey Conrad had a goal and an assist for the Cougars (8-1, 7-1).

Riley Isley and Emelyn Sotelo had assists.

Carson plays West Rowan Tuesday and travels to South Iredell on Thursday to close the regular season.

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South Rowan got its first win by topping .A.L. Brown 3-0 in non-conference action.

Asciri Garcia, Bryleigh Beaver and Zoey Nichols scored goals, with Ava Schyler, Mackenzie Chabala and Paige Chabala providing assists.

Cheyanne Hunter made nine saves for the Raiders.

HS girls golf

STATESVILLE — East Rowan’s girls golf squad posted the best team score   at Twin Oaks in the final 18-hole match, but finished 10 strokes behind South Iredell for the season.

East freshman Hannah Waddell was medalist with an 84 and will be North Piedmont Conference Player of the Year.

East’s Carlee Patterson shot 88, and Emma Callahan was the Mustangs’ third scorer with a 96.

South Iredell’s team will advance to the regional.

East coach Rhett Teems expects Waddell and Patterson to be individual qualifiers for the regional.

HS boys tennis

East Rowan lost to South Iredell 6-3 in a match that clinched the North Piedmont Conference championship for the Vikings.

The Mustangs (6-2, 5-2) got singles wins from Ryan Brady and Drew Roane, and Landon Shuping/Brady stayed undefeated at No. 1 doubles.

Fishing

Salisbury’s Harrison McCall and Richfield’s Carson Palmer won the TBF State Championship on High Rock Lake on Saturday.

College football

St. Andrews defensive lineman  Devin Turner (West Rowan) was named to the All-Mid-South Conference team.