From staff and wire reports
Rowan County Little League’s 14U team lost, 14-12, to Texas in the World Series in Kirkland, Wash., in the first round of tournament play.
Rowan went 3-1 in pool play to get a No. 2 seed but fell to No. 3 seed Texas late Thursday.
Texas used a seven-run sixth to come from behind.
Leadoff batter Olivia Marshall had a huge game for Rowan, collecting five hits and driving in five runs.
Rowan will play in a loser’s bracket game today at 4:45 p.m. against Northern California.
Northern California lost to Canada, 7-6, on Thursday.

Texas 121 027 1 — 14 14 5
Rowan 230 124 0 — 12 16 3

Sands hits slam
GWINNETT, Ga. — Former Catawba slugger Jerry Sands and Slade Heathcott connected on back-to-back homers in the fourth inning, leading the Charlotte Knights to a 9-4 win over the Gwinnett Braves on Thursday.
Sands hit a grand slam before Heathcott hit a solo shot that gave the Knights a 5-2 lead.
Following the big inning, the Braves cut into the deficit in the seventh inning when Emilio Bonifacio scored on a wild pitch.
The Knights later added three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. In the eighth, Jason Bourgeois hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Adam Engel, while Nicky Delmonico hit a solo home run in the ninth.
Charlotte right-hander Kameron Loe (1-3) picked up a quality start and the win after allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings. Opposing starter Kanekoa Texeira (1-6) took the loss in the International League game after a rough outing in which he allowed five runs and six hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Intimidators fall
GREENSBORO — Giovanny Alfonzo hit a walk-off single, as the Greensboro Grasshoppers beat the Kannapolis Intimidators, 4-3, on Thursday.
Aaron Blanton scored the game-winning run after he led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
After Kannapolis put up three runs in the third inning, Greensboro tied the game 3-3 on an RBI double by Alfonzo in the fourth inning.
Reliever Ryley MacEachern (2-1) went two scoreless innings, striking out three to pick up the win. Mike Morrison (0-2) didn’t record an out and allowed one run in the South Atlantic League game.
Blanton doubled and singled twice, scoring two runs in the win.

A win for Dash
WINSTON-SALEM — Toby Thomas hit a two-run single in the seventh inning, leading the Winston-Salem Dash to a 3-1 win over the Frederick Keys on Thursday.
The single by Thomas scored Zack Collins and Marcus Davis and was the game’s last scoring play.
In the top of the first, Frederick took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Aderlin Rodriguez that scored Erick Salcedo. Winston-Salem answered in the third inning when Landon Lassiter hit an RBI single, driving in Davis.
Winston-Salem right-hander Thaddius Lowry (8-7) picked up a quality start and the win after allowing one run on just one hit over seven innings. Opposing starter Lucas Long (6-6) took the loss in the Carolina League game after giving up three runs and five hits over seven innings.