High school baseball: Hornets drop thriller; Mustangs romp … and more

Published 2:05 am Friday, May 14, 2021

East Rowan’s Cobb Hightower. Photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post.

 

From staff reports

WELCOME — Salisbury’s baseball team lost 5-4 at North Davidson on Thursday in a Central Carolina Conference game.

The Black Knights (4-2, 3-0) pushed across a run in the bottom of the eighth to pull it out.

The Hornets came close to a big upset. Down 4-1, they scored two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to force extra innings.

Vance Honeycutt opened the game for the Hornets (2-2, 1-2) with a double and scored on Kaleb Burleyson’s single.

Honeycutt and Chase Shoaf started the fifth with singles. Honeycutt scored when Burleyson hit into a fielder’s choice. Max Crawford’s double helped the Hornets get within 4-3.

Honeycutt walked to start the seventh. After a wild pitch and a steal of third, Burleyson’s groundout plated Honeycutt for a 4-all tie.

Burleyson drove in three. Honeycutt was 2-for-2 and scored three runs.

Four North Davidson pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts. JR Lingerfelt got the win.

Honeycutt, Shoaf and Burleyson pitched for the Hornets, with Shoaf pitching five innings of relief. Burleyson took the loss.

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GRANITE QUARRY — East Rowan pounded Statesville 26-0 on Thursday for a North Piedmont Conference win.

Jake Hunter, Chance Mako, Bryson Shive and Mattox Henderson combined on a one-hitter with nine strikeouts in the five-inning game.

Christian Nicholson had an infield hit for the Greyhounds (0-5, 0-4).

The Mustangs (5-1, 3-1) had an 11-run third and a seven-run fourth.

East hitters went 18-for-32. Aiden Schenck went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Cameron Padgett was officially 0-for-1 but scored three runs and drove in four.

Jaxon Trexler was 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Cobb Hightower, Griffin Warden, Morgan Padgett, Jacob Causey and Austin Fulk had two hits each.

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East’s unbeaten jayvee team beat Mooresville 6-1.

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MOCKSVILLE — Davie split the season series with West Forsyth (2-4, 1-3) by taking a 2-1 victory in Thursday’s Central Piedmont Conference game.

Davin Whitaker had two of Davie’s five hits to back a strong pitching performance by Zach Rodgers.

Rodgers went the distance, scattering seven hits, striking out three and walking one.

Davie (3-3, 3-1) scored the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh with the the aid of three miscues.

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In South Piedmont Conference baseball, Robinson topped A.L. Brown 7-4 on Thursday in Concord.

Ja’Lan Chambers had three hits for the Wonders (2-3, 2-3), while Nate Baucom had two.

Robinson (2-3, 2-2) scored twice in the fourth to break a 3-all deadlock.

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In SPC play on Thursday, two Cox Mill hurlers teamed to shut out Concord 10-0.

Nick Alderfer had three hits for the unbeaten Chargers (5-0, 4-0).

The Spiders are 2-3, 1-3.

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Northwest Cabarrus lost 5-4 to South Meck in a non-conference game on Thursday. South Meck plays at A.L. Brown tonight.

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The biggest game tonight is Carson at West Rowan in the North Piedmont Conference.