From staff reports

Fifth-seeded A.L. Brown’s softball team upset top-seeded Mooresville 9-6 in the semifinals of the Greater Metro Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Kannapolis Middle School.

Kaylyn Belfield had four hits for the Wonders. Lindsay Wolford drove in four runs with three hits.

Karma Little had a triple and two RBIs. Gracie Brown also had a big game for the Wonders, who rallied to tie the game in the seventh and won in the eighth inning.

Hickory Ridge will be the Wonders’ opponent in the finals. The Bulls beat Lake Norman 5-2 on Wednesday.

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West Rowan plays Central Cabarrus for the South Piedmont Conference Tournament championship tonight at Carson at 6 p.m.

HS soccer

Salisbury plays Gray Stone at home  at 5 p.m. today, with senior standout Sutton Webb needing one goal for the county record.

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West Rowan had one of its stronger efforts but lost a 4-3 thriller against Concord on Wednesday.

Mia Arntsen, Selma Mehmedovic and Leslie Guerrero scored for the Falcons.

Anna Mead had two assists, while Rebekah Walters had one. Emily Kelly made 10 saves.

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Hannah Isley scored six goals to lead Carson to a 10-1 non-conference win against A.L. Brown on Tuesday.

Riley Isley, Makayla Borst, Sophie Carter and Allie Martin also scored for the Cougars.

HS baseball

East Rowan plays South Rowan tonight at South at 7 p.m. in a game that will determine the South Piedmont Conference’s top seed for the 3A state playoffs.

East will bring a 23-3 record into the contest, while the Raiders are 21-4.

East won 3-1 against Carson in Tuesday’s semis behind Cameron Padgett.

South used ace Haiden Leffew in a tense 5-4 win against West Rowan, which had the bases loaded when the final out was made.

It’s expected to be a Chance Mako-Carson Crainshaw mound matchup.

South used Chandler Oddie in a 6-1 first-round win against Lake Norman Charter, while East relied on Nate Hayworth in a first-round romp against Concord.

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South has a great senior class, but could be good again in 2023.

South’s jayvees beat Central Cabarrus twice to finish undefeated in conference play and were 17-3 overall.

 

High school tennis

  Salisbury’s boys tennis team won its second-roundmatch in the 2A dual team state playoffs on Tuesday, topping North Stanly at home.

The second-seeded and unbeaten Hornets won 5-1 over the Comets. Doubles weren’t required.

Will Koontz, Colin Donaldson, Gray Davis, Reid Hlavacek and Kevin Williams won for Salisbury.

Donaldson’s 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles was the most dominant win for the Hornets.

North Stanly’s Ethan Huneycutt topped Wyatt Goodnight at No. 6 in a match that went to a third-set tiebreaker.

• The third round of the dual team state playoffs will be played on or before May 9. Next for second-seeded Salisbury is sixth-seeded Lincoln Charter.

• The state individual tournaments take center stage on Friday with Salisbury’s Koontz and Donaldson/Davis playing in Holly Springs.

South Rowan’s Joey Caraccio will be playing in the 3A State Championships in Burlington.

A.L. Brown’s Jayden Wellman qualified for the 4A State Championships in Raleigh.

High school hoops

Carson senior Mary Spry was selected to play for the West squad in this summer’s East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro.

A 6-foot forward with excellent perimeter skills, Spry was South Piedmont Conference Player of the Year and was Co-Player of the Year for Rowan County.

Spry has signed with Catawba.

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Rockwell Christian’s Noah Aistrop signed with Welch College.

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North Hills’ Matt Hennie is signing today with Pfeiffer.

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David Broome, former Central Cabarrus assistant, was named as Hickory Ridge’s new boys coach.

High school golf

  State Championships are coming up on Monday and Tuesday.

Salisbury’s team qualified for the 2A Championships to be held at Foxfire Red.

• East Rowan’s Landon Merrell, Carson’s Cade Cranfield, West Rowan’s McGwire Owen and South Rowan’s Jackson Black will be playing at Pinehurst No. 6 as individuals.

Local golf

GARS members played in the Salisbury/Rowan Senior Games GolfTournament at the Revival at the Crescent.

• 60-64 age group: Ken Safrit took third place with an 89.

• 65-69 age group: Dickie Peeler took second place with an 86.  Lynn Shook took third place with an 87

• 70-74 age group: Ted Weant took first place with a 75.  Larry Petrea took second place with a 76.                                 Ray Pope took third place with an 80.

• 75-79 age group: Grey Medinger took first place with a par 72.  Wayne Kluttz took third place with an 84.

•80-84 age group: Bobby Clark took first place with an 83. Clyde Crawford took third place with an 87.

• 85-89 age group: Ralph Luther took first place with a 96.

Medinger won overall low gross with a 72 and shot 4 strokes below his age of 76. Ray Pope made the longest putt on No. 10.

McCanless Couples

Tammie Drew and Tinsley, Keegan & Lucas Merrell placed first in a McCanless Couples Captain’s Choice event.

Don Carpenter, Clarence Hobart and Ricky & T. Honeycutt placed second.

Calvin Smith had closest to the pin. T. Honeycutt had longest putt.

College golf

UNC Greensboro’s Nick Lyerly (East Rowan) was voted Southern Conference Player of the Year and is the first from the program to receive that honor.

Lyerly was Player of the Month for the conference three times in a dominant season. His stroke average was 69.

Lyerly still has another season of eligibility at UNC Greensboro and will play for the Spartans while he works on a Masters degree.

Lyerly made the NCAA Tournament as an individual and will play in a regional in Florida.

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Richmond’s Michael Childress (of Salisbury) finished the Atlantic 10 Championships with a 2-under 70 and tied for 17th. Childress had a hot start to the round that included an eagle.

College track

Track standout  Josh Parks (A.L. Brown) was named as UNC Wilmington’s top male student-athlete.

College softball

No official announcement by Catawba yet, but several sources said on Wednesday that the Indians are making a head-coaching change.

The Indians were in a tough spot this year, losing some key players to transfer, and with only a handful of veterans, and the season did not go well — 5-33 overall, 1-23 in the South Atlantic Conference and 0-16 in road games.

 

  

Minor leagues

Owen White (Carson) had a great start on Friday for Hickory in a 6-1 win at Greenville.

White struck out nine in six innings. He allowed two hits, one run and one walk.

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Vancouver’s Colton Laws (Carson) is on the 7-day injured list.

College baseball

Gardner-Webb’s Bo Rusher (Salisbury) has four homers and 21 RBIs.

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High Point’s Charlie Klingler (East Rowan) is batting .341.

JuCo baseball

Caldwell Tech is 41-7 and has gotten a big boost from Rowan County players including  Carson’s Cole Hales, CP Pyle and Chase Drinkard, East’s Hayden Setzer  and West Rowan’s Steven Smith, Scout Nichols and JT Fecteau.

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Catawba signee Logan Rogers (Carson) has six  homers and 39 RBIs and is batting .329 for Southeastern-Whiteville.

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Wayne Mize (East Rowan) 6 homers, 30 RBIs, .314 for Wake Tech. Bryson Wagner (East Rowan) 9-2 with 70 strikeouts in 56 innings.

NCHSAA Scholarship

The Willie Bradshaw Memorial Endowed Scholarship winners include A.L. Brown’s Chason Watkins.