From staff reports

The four-way tie at the top of the South Piedmont Conference standings was sorted out on Friday.

West Rowan beat Central Cabarrus 10-1, avenging a lopsided loss at Central and gaining a split of the season series.

Carson beat East Rowan 5-3 at home, getting even with the Mustangs for a 1-0 loss in Granite Quarry.

The current SPC standings: Carson 10-2; West Rowan 9-2; East Rowan 8-3; Central Cabarrus 8-3.

None of the four contenders has been swept by anyone yet, as the teams head into the final week of the regular season.

East (12-5 overall) has a three-game week ahead with all the games at East: South on Tuesday; Concord on Wednesday, and  West on Friday. West won the first meeting.

West (13-3-1 overall) also has three scheduled: at Concord on Tuesday, home against Northwest Cabarrus on Wednesday, at East on Friday.

Carson (13-6) has a big one at Central Cabarrus on Tuesday. The Cougars won the first meeting in extra innings.

Carson hosts Butler non-conference on Wednesday and plays at a dangerous South Rowan team on Friday. South is going to finish fifth, but is sure to be in the state playoffs.

Central Cabarrus (12-4 overall) hosts Lake Norman Charter Monday, goes to Carson on Tuesday and finishes at home against Northwest Cabarrus on Friday.

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MOUNT ULLA — Central Cabarrus led 1-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

West scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to win big.

EA Nance keyed both big innings with three-run homers.

Nance had three hits. Karsen Simpson had three hits and scored two runs for the Falcons.

Madelyn VonCanon scored two runs. Brooke Kennerly and Arabelle Shulenberger had doubles.

Emma Clarke only got two official at-bats. She was 1-f0r-2 with a walk and an HBP. She drove in one run and stole two bases.

Shulenberger has been great in the circle during an eight-game West winning streak. She allowed three Central hits and one unearned run. She struck out three and walked three.

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CHINA GROVE — East Rowan scored the first run in the top of the second. Addie Plott doubled, stole third and scored on a bunt single by Kady Collins.

Carson tied it 1-all in the bottom of the inning. Holly Stowe got a hit and was able to move around the bases and score on a groundout by Laila Furr.

Carson went up 2-1 in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Furr.

East tied it 2-all in the top of the fifth on an inside-the-park homer by Collins.

The bottom of the fifth was a key inning. Landry Stewart and Phoebe Cole had singles in front of a two-run triple by Lonna Addison, and the Cougars took the lead for good at 4-2.

Furr scored on Peyton Hollar’s RBI in the sixth for a 5-2 Carson lead.

Maddie Roberts had a run-scoring double for the Mustangs in the seventh, but Carson left fielder Emily Kann caught a flyball in foul territory for the final out of the game.

Addison struck out 12 for the Cougars, walked two and allowed seven hits.

Eleni Miller did the pitching for East. She struck out four, walked two and allowed six hits.