Spring sports update: Warden’s walk-off keeps East undefeated
Published 11:51 pm Friday, March 11, 2022
- East's Griffin Warden. Photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post.
From staff reports
Baseball
Griffin Warden led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run to give East Rowan a 6-5 win against Piedmont on Friday at Staton Field.
“A no doubter,” gushed East head coach Brett Hatley. “When he hit it, Staton Field just exploded. You can feel the excitement here, and what a great win for our guys. Piedmont can really swing it.”
Sophomore Nate Hayworth did most of the pitching, while sophomore Logan Dyer pitched the top of the ninth and got the win.
Sophomore shortstop Cobb Hightower made several fine defensive plays and stayed hot at the plate for the Mustangs (5-0).
“We’ve played some really good teams early,” Hatley said. “We found The Burlington School as a last-minute replacement for Sun Valley on Thursday and they put a 6-foot-5 lefty (Arkansas commit Tucker Holland) on the mound throwing 93. That was a tough game, too, but we did enough to win behind Cam Padgett. It’s been great preparation for the South Piedmont Conference.”
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Hayden Simmerson struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings, didn’t walk a batter and allowed two hits as Carson beat West Davidson 6-0 on Friday.
The Cougars (2-2) got two hits and two RBIs from Hunter Burris.
Daniel Savage had two RBIs. Cameron Burleyson had two hits. Austin Efird scored two runs.
Carson is scheduled to play Southwest Guilford today at 2 p.m. at Thomasville’s Finch Field.
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Salisbury used a six-run second inning to win 11-5 against North Hills on Friday.
Aiden Mowery was 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Reed Fugle and Kaleb Burleyson had two RBIs each for the Hornets (3-2).
Hank Webb pitched the first three innings and struck out six. Cole Price was strong in the fourth and fifth, and three more Hornet hurlers finished up.
Ben Hager drove in three runs for North Hills. Colton Helms had three hits.
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Davie County pounded out an 11-3 Central Piedmont Conference win against R.J. Reynolds for a season sweep.
Parker Simmons drove in four runs for the War Eagles (3-2, 2-0).
Davie’s jayvees won 8-4 against Glenn.
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Hickory Ridge won 11-1 against A.L. Brown in a Greater Metro Conference game.
Anthony Umbach and Caden Heyward swung big bats for the Bulls, who beat the Wonders (1-3, 0-2) for the second time this week.
Davis Rhyne struck out nine Wonders.
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West Rowan (2-2) to Alexander Central for the second time this week.
The Cougars banged out 14 hits and outscored the Falcons 11-6.
West pitchers struck out eight, but walked five.
Alexander Central led 4-1 after three innings. West tried to rally in the late innings, but the Cougars kept tacking on runs.
•••
South Rowan (3-0) won 12-11 at North Davidson.
Basketball
Several Rowan players made the all-district basketball teams named by the North Carolina Coaches Association.
For girls, Salisbury’s Kyla Bryant made first team. Carson’s Mary Spry and Salisbury’s Rachel McCullough are on the second team, Salisbury’s Jamecia Huntley made the third team.
For boys, Salisbury’s Juke Harris is on the second team, while Cam Stout made the third team.
Davie’s Zaharee Maddox made the second team. Mooresville’s KJ Shaw made the first team.
Softball
East Rowan’s freshman pitchers Camryn Perkins, Eleni Miller and Gracie Barber combined to shut out North Rowan 15-0 on Friday.
Liberty Schroeder continued to swing a hot bat for the Mustangs (3-0).
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Carson lost to Piedmont 5-2 on Friday.
The Cougars (0-3) got a homer from Cora Atwell.
Carson got 10 hits, with Landry Stewart, Brooklynn Davis and Allie Burns getting two each.
Lonna Addison pitched well. Piedmont’s runs were unearned.
•••
Anna Dew struck out 12 as Hickory Ridge beat Mooresville 8-2 in a Greater Metro Conference game.
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South Rowan scored seven runs in the third inning and won 13-3 against West Davidson after spotting the Green Dragons three early runs.
Carmen Thomas had three hits for the Raiders.
Bailey Yon and Lexie Ritchie had two hits. Ritchie, Kynlee Dextraze and winning pitcher Avery Crowell had two RBIs each.
Girls soccer
West Rowan and South Rowan battled to a scoreless tie in South Piedmont Conference soccer on Friday.
Kristin Hammonds made seven saves for the Falcons.
3A SPC
Overall SPC
LN Charter 4-1 1-0
NW Cabarrus 2-1 1-0
Concord 2-2 1-0
West Rowan 2-1-1 0-0-1
South Rowan 1-1-2 0-0-1
Central Cabarrus 3-2 0-1
Carson 1-2 0-1
East Rowan 0-2-2 0-1
Friday’s scores
Concord 6, Central Cabarrus 1
West Rowan 0, South Rowan 0
Lake Norman Charter 8, Carson 0
1A/2A CCC
Overall CCC
Salisbury 3-0 3-0
Lexington 2-0 3-1
West Davidson 1-1 1-0
South Davidson 1-3 1-2
North Rowan 0-0 0-0
East Davidson 0-2 0-2
Thomasville0-30-3
3A SPC
Overall SPC
LN Charter 4-0 4-0
South Rowan 4-0 3-0
East Rowan 2-1 2-1
Carson 1-2 1-1
Concord 1-3 1-1
NW Cabarrus 1-3 1-3
West Rowan 1-3 0-3
Central Cabarrus 0-3 0-3