Staff report

SALISBURY — Taliyah McCombs smoked a triple, as Salisbury beat East Davidson 11-3 in Central Carolina Conference softball on Tuesday.

“It was like, ‘Holy cow! She just knocked the snot out of that ball,'” Salisbury head coach Leah Herndon said cheerfully. “I’m not sure what got into us, but I’m glad it did.”

It was Salisbury’s night.

The Hornets (7-7, 6-3) scored three in the bottom of the second to take a 5-2 lead and made it 9-2 with a four-run third.

It was unexpected. The Hornets had lost 11-1 at East Davidson. Not only that, but East Davidson (7-5, 5-1) came into Tuesday’s game still undefeated in the CCC.

Katie Peeler always hits, but she had one of the best days she’s ever had in the circle, striking out eight and allowing one hit and three walks. East Davidson’s runs were unearned.

“She was dominant,” Herndon said. “And her sister (Allie Peeler) did a great job behind the plate.”

Salisbury’s run production depends largely on the three girls at the top of the lineup — the Peelers and Ashley Yang — and they had good days.

Katie, who leads off, scored three runs. Allie drove in three. Yang scored two and drove in two.

“It was a game when we did all the little things right, and they didn’t,” Herndon said. “All our girls have worked very hard to play games like this, and they have improved, and today’s game showed that. We’re not striking out as much, and if you can put it in play, you can move a runner, and maybe the defense will make a mistake. If you hit it on the ground, they’ve got to do three things right.”

McCombs scored twice. Jayla Robertson, Teasia Ellis and Jasmine Murray scored a run apiece.

East Davidson is 26th in the 2A West RPI rankings. Salisbury is 41st, but is moving in the right direction.

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North Rowan got its first two CCC wins on Monday, pounding Thomasville in a doubleheader.