From staff reports

SPENCER — Salisbury’s first-year head coach Carson Herndon has gotten a good season out of a freshman-heavy team.

The Hornets finished third in the 1A/2A Central Carolina Conference.

A friendly schedule definitely helped, but Salisbury’s record (13-9, 8-4) looks pretty good.

Playoffs? Maybe. Salisbury is 33rd in the latest 2A West RPI rankings. Thirty-two teams will make the bracket.

Salisbury beat North Rowan for the fourth time on Friday, pounding the Cavaliers 15-3 in five innings. The last two meetings with the Cavaliers counted in the CCC standings.

The Hornets had nine hits and took advantage of seven walks, three hit batsmen and four errors.

Kaleb Burleyson, Evan Koontz and Jackson Sparger had two hits each. Koontz knocked in three runs, while Cole Price and Sparger had two RBIs each.

Salisbury scored four runs in the top of the first and went on from there. Jack Everson walked to start the game and scored on Burleyson’s double. Hank Webb singled in Burleyson.  Sparger’s two-out single and Reed Fugle’s two-out double made it a big inning.

Price, Burleyson and Sparger did the pitching.

Burleyson managed to play all nine positions in the five-inning game.

North’s Trey Johnson didn’t have a lot of success on the mound, but he was 3-for-3 as a hitter. He scored all of North’s runs.

Breadon Castor had two hits and two RBIs for the Cavaliers (4-13, 3-9).

North tied for fifth with Thomasville.

Salisbury will be at home at 6 p.m. against Thomasville in the first round of the CCC tournament on Monday.

North is seeded fifth and will play at No. 4 South Davidson on Monday.

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HUNTERSVILLE — Carson beat Lake Norman Charter 12-1 in six innings on Friday to close the regular season.

Carson moved up to a tie for third place in the final South Piedmont Conference standings with Northwest Cabarrus and West Rowan.

Carson trailed 1-0 early, but settled things with a seven-run third inning.

The Cougars (15-9, 8-6) got a strong mound effort from Mikey Beasley, who pitched four innings for the win. He struck out five and the only run he allowed was unearned. Casey Crawford pitched two innings and struck out four.

Daxton Savage had three of Carson’s 14 hits. Hayden Simmerson had two doubles. Aaron Coe had two hits.

Austin Efird and Cameron Burleyson had triples. Keegan Barger and Samuel Safrit scored two runs.

Carson drew the No. 4 seed for the SPC tournament and will host No. 5 Northwest Cabarrus on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13-9, 8-4