From staff reports

CHINA GROVE — Maverick Walters starred on the mound and at the plate as Carson romped 11-1 against Robinson in a South Piedmont Conference Tournament first-round game on Monday.

Walters pitched five strong innings, tripled and drove in two runs against the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (10-14).

Third-seeded Carson (15-10) scored four runs in the fourth inning. Gavin Hopkins started that big inning with a bunt single.

Carson got two hits from Walters, Daxton Savage, Carson Kirk and Cam Williamson.

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HUNTERSVILLE  — Seventh-seeded South Rowan lost a 4-3 struggle at Lake Norman Charter in a first-round game played on Monday.

Braden Wilkie was the winning pitcher for the second-seeded Knights. Trevor Cook drove in two runs.

South (12-13) tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh, but the Knights (16-6) scored the decisive run in the bottom half.

It could be a season-ending loss for the Raiders, who can’t make the playoffs ahead of SPC teams such as Northwest Cabarrus and Robinson that are ahead of them in the league standings.

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MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan suffered a nightmarish 7-6, 10-inning loss to fifth-seeded Northwest Cabarrus in a first-round tournament game played on Monday.

Fourth-seeded West (17-8) made nine errors.

It was 4-all after five innings. Down 6-4 going to the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons scored twice to send the games to extra innings.

Corbin Bailey and Drew Burton pitched five innings each and both threw well. Six of Northwest’s runs were unearned.

Cole Blevins went 4-for-5 for the Falcons and scored two runs. Burton had two hits and knocked in two.

Alex Walker homered for the Trojans (12-13). Blake Gaffney had four hits. Cooper Greene was the winning pitcher.

West will have a chance to bounce back in the state playoffs.

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GRANITE QUARRY — Cobb Hightower and McCall Henderson homered as East Rowan beat Central Cabarrus 9-6 in a first-round game on Monday.

The top-seeded Mustangs (24-1) trailed the eighth-seeded Vikings (5-16) before rallying for five runs in the sixth at Staton Field.

Hightower had two hits and drove in three runs. Henderson had three hits and knocked in three.

Logan Dyer scored two. Harrison Ailshie had two RBIs.

East used four pitchers, with Hightower getting the win.

Garret Black had three hits for the Vikings.

 

 

 

   SPC TOURNAMENT

               Monday’s scores

(1) East Rowan 9, (8) Central Cabarrus 6

(5) NW Cabarrus 7, (4) West Rowan 6, 10 inns.

(3) Carson 11, (6) Robinson 1

(2) LN Charter 4, (7) South Rowan 3

Tuesday’s semifinals (at Staton Field)

(2) Lake Norman Charter 5, (3) Carson 4

East Rowan vs. NW Cabarrus, 7 p.m.

Thursday’s championship (at Staton Field)

(2) Lake Norman Charter vs. East-NWC winner, 7 p.m.