From staff reports

Tuesday games …

CHINA GROVE — East Rowan scored five runs in the fourth and beat Lake Norman Charter 7-1 to advance to the championship game of the South Piedmont Conference Tournament.

The top-seeded Mustangs (22-4) will play second-seeded West Rowan at Carson.

East is second in the 3A West RPI rankings and is 2-0 against the Falcons.

Harrison Ailshie (9-1) started slowly on the mound and allowed a run in the first inning but was in control after that. He completed the game as he reached the pitch limit of 105. He struck out seven, walked two and allowed four hits.

Ailshie also led the Mustangs at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs.

East had eight hits and took advantage of four walks, two HBPs and four LNC errors.

Mason Phelps had two RBIs. Keaton Walker, Zeke Stewart and Sam Blackwelder had one each.

Fourth-seeded Lake Norman Charter (11-10) is headed for the playoffs. The Knights are 23rd in the 3A West RPI rankings.

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CHINA GROVE — West Rowan scored seven runs in the second inning and breezed to a 12-2 win against Robinson in a South Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinal played at Carson.

Luke Ponczka and Maddox Moore crushed homers for the Falcons (22-4), the No. 2 seed for the tournament and the No. 3 team in the 3A West RPI rankings.

Moore also had a double in the five-inning game. He went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs. Ponczka was 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Eli Graham had two hits. Gaige Scruggs and Brice Knox scored two runs each.

Moore (8-1) was on the mound and kept the sixth-seeded Bulldogs off the scoreboard until the fifth. He struck out nine and walked three.

It may be a season-ender for the Bulldogs. They are 33rd in the 3A West RPI rankings.

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TYRO — Evan Koontz had three hits, including a homer, for Salisbury in an 8-3 loss to top-seeded West Davidson in a Central Carolina Conference semifinal.

The fourth-seeded Hornets (8-17) won’t make the playoffs, but they are going to play a makeup game at home against Page on Thursday. A large senior class will get one last game.