From staff reports

KANNAPOLIS — Carson rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh and beat Northwest Cabarrus 4-3 in a semifinal game played on Saturday night in the F&M Bank Cannon Ballers Invitational.

Carson (12-6) took a 2-1 lead early, but Dalton Hazlett’s two-run single in the sixth put the Trojans (12-5) ahead 3-2.

Carson rallied in the seventh. Connor Rayfield’s pinch-hit double tied the game, and Cameron Burleyson had the walk-off single.

Mikey Beasley pitched into the fourth for Carson. Sam Safrit went the rest of the way for the win.

Northwest starter Tanner Kaler struck out eight. Zach Helms took the loss.

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South Rowan won 4-3 against Wesleyan Christian Academy of High Point (14-4) in a Saturday semifinal in the F&M Bank Classic at Atrium Health Ballpark.

All the runs (for both teams) were scored in the third inning.

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In consolation games played Saturday in the Easter tournament at Atrium Health Ballpark, Hickory Ridge beat Concord 13-2 and A.L. Brown beat Robinson 12-7.

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West Rowan split two games Saturday in an Easter Tournament being played at multiple Union County high schools.

The Falcons (13-5) scored three runs in a decisive top of the sixth to beat Lake Norman 8-6.

Luke Graham had three hits for the Falcons, while Peyton Summerall had two. Alex O’Rourke started on the mound for West. Drew Burton pitched four strong innings in relief and was credited with the win.

Chase Wigginton had three hits for the Wildcats (12-5).

• West lost to Porter Ridge 6-1.

Casey Gouge tripled to lead off the game for the Falcons, and Graham drove him in, but West didn’t do anything offensively after that.

Russell Vaughan pitched a two-hitter for Porter Ridge (12-5). Caleb Gant and Jake McGillivray backed him up with homers.

Nate Green, Matthew Connolly and Noah Graham pitched for the Falcons. Green took the loss.

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East Rowan (16-3) also split Saturday in the Union County tourney.

Chance Mako struck out seven and was in control for five innings in a 7-1 win against Parkwood. Logan Dyer finished up on the mound.

Parkwood pitched Ashton Plyler, the hurler who fired a 21-strikeout perfect game against Anson earlier this season, but the Mustangs had little trouble.

Aiden Schenck and Morgan Padgett had run-scoring doubles.

• East Rowan’s defense faltered in an 8-4 loss to Marvin Ridge.

Dylan Valley pitched four sharp innings, but the Mustangs made two key errors in the fifth with Nate Hayworth on the mound, as the game turned around.

Cobb Hightower and Cameron Padgett walloped homers. Griffin Warden had two hits, Austin Fulk had a two-run single.

East plays Lake Norman on Monday, while West will take on Sun Valley.

 

College golf

Livingstone won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Golf Championship at Chicora Golf Club in Dunn.

The Blue Bears finished the two-round tournament with a team score of 582 (14-over) to capture their first title since 2018.

Livingstone finished 19 strokes ahead of second place Virginia Union.  Fayetteville State finished third.

Livingstone’s Joel Basalaine  shot 1-under and finished atop the individual leaderboard.

Basalaine needed a playoff hole to overtake teammate Xavier Proctor, who came into the second day as the individual leader.

 

Legion softball

An interest meeting for a South Rowan Junior Legion softball team will be held at the SR softball field on Sunday, April 24, at 4 p.m.

Girls must live in the China Grove or Corriher-Lipe school districts and must have turned 13 before Jan. 1, 2022.

Dean Mullinax and Kacie Stamey will coach the team.

Email mullinaxID@rss.k12.nc.us or stameykr@rss.k12.nc.us for information.

 

Local golf

College swimming

UNC Wilmington’s Katie Knorr (Salisbury) is the Rookie Swimmer of the Year for the Colonial Athletic Association.

Knorr earned All-CAA honors in the 200 IM and won the 400 IM. Knorr set a program record in the 400 IM earlier in the season with a time of 4:17.18.

 

College softball

Kary Hales (Carson) went 5-for-5 with three doubles and Courtnee Carter hit two homers and knocked in six runs as Catawba ended a 25-game losing streak with a 15-11 South Atlantic Conference win against UVA Wise on Thursday.Brooke Lowery (South Rowan) had two hits.

Catawba (5-31, 1-21) hadn’t won since Feb. 25.

Hales is batting .390 with three homers, 12 doubles and 21 RBIs.

 

Minors

Owen White (Carson) pitched five shutout innings for Hickory on Friday, with eight strikeouts, two hits and one walk.

Ike Freeman (East Rowan) hit a pair of two-run homers for the Columbus Clippers in a Triple A game on Thursday.

 

High school football

Concord hired Darren Shepherd as its new head coach.

He was the defensive coordinator at Hickory Ridge