Staff report

CONCORD — East Rowan’s softball team took another big step toward the Mustangs’ first regular-season conference championship since 2013 with Wednesday’s 6-1 win at second-place Central Cabarrus.

“Five girls had RBIs and we played a great defensive game, with no errors,” East coach Todd McNeely said.

Central Cabarrus (12-4, 10-2) had five hits, including two by losing pitcher Taryn Jenkins.

East’s freshman pitcher Madi Tigert only struck out one, but she also only walked one, and the Mustangs made the plays behind her.

East (12-2, 12-0) had eight hits. The Mustangs got on top with a run in the top of the first and kept adding on. A two-run fifth made it 5-0. Central was down 6-0 when the Vikings scored in the seventh.

Jordan Dry homered for East. Maddie Roberts had three hits, including a double. Chloe Shank had a double and drove in two runs. Kori Miller also had a double.

“We were the only team that was able to get our field ready for some games early in the season and the schedule got moved around some, so we’ve been on the road an awful lot lately,” McNeely said. “But we’ve been able to keep winning.”

East has six regular-season games left on the schedule, four South Piedmont Conference games, as well as tough non-conference games with West Stanly and North Stanly.

East plays at South Rowan on Friday.

The game with Alexander Central had to be canceled due to schedule changes.

East is fourth in the 3A West RPI rankings behind Oak Grove, North Davidson and Kings Mountain.

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SALISBURY — Home-field advantage matters, and the Salisbury Hornets hammered Concord 16-6  on Wednesday to get even for an 11-5 loss at Concord.

Concord (4-11) led 6-5 after three innings in the non-conference game, but the Hornets (6-7) turned things around with a five-run fourth and ended the game via the 10-run rule with a six-run fifth.

Salisbury out-hit the Spiders 8-4.

Ashley Yang went 3-for-3, scored four runs and drove in three. She’s having another great season, batting .559 with 20 RBIs.

Katie Peeler went 2-for-2 and scored four runs. Peeler, a Furman signee, is batting .720 with three homers and 28 runs scored.

Allie Peeler had two RBIs on Wednesday. She’s batting .382 with 15 RBIs.

Addie Myers scored three runs for the Hornets. Jayla Robertson drove in two.

Katie Peeler was in the circle and struck out six Spiders.

The Hornets have experienced some success, but they are still a long way out of the playoff picture at this time. They are 43rd in the 2A West RPI rankings.

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CHINA GROVE — Northwest Cabarrus beat Carson 1-0 in South Piedmont Conference softball on Wednesday.

The pitchers dominated, as Carson’s Caylee Snow and Northwest’s Haylee Ellis pitched one-hitters.

Snow struck out eight and walked two. She had a no-hitter until Isabella Ellis hit a home run in the seventh.

Haylee Ellis struck out 16 for the Trojans (7-5, 6-5).

McKenzie Powers had the only hit for Carson (3-12, 2-8).