From staff reports

Catawba College head football coach  Curtis Walker announced the hiring of Nygel Pearson as offensive line coach.

Pearson comes to the Catawba Indians after a six-year stint at South Carolina State University. In addition to coaching the offensive line, he’ll  serve as  running game coordinator.

At South Carolina State, Pearson served as offensive line coach, while also coaching tight ends and fullbacks and working with special teams.

Pearson was an All-MEAC lineman during a standout career at South Carolina State, graduating in in 2008 with a degree in physical education. He earned a master’s in secondary education from SCSU in 2014.

Pearson is married to the former Majoria Addison and the couple has a son, Grayson.

Barringer hired

Catawba College volleyball head coach Ginger Hamric  announced that Nicole Barringer has joined the program as an assistant coach.

Barringer, who starred at South Rowan High in softball and basketball as well as volleyball,   enjoyed an outstanding four-year playing career at Averett, graduating in 2015 with a degree in criminal justice. She is pursuing a masters in business administration.

As a setter, Barringer finished her playing career with 4,654 assists   in 466 sets over 141 career matches. She also totaled 165 service aces and 126 blocks.

As a senior, Barringer earned American Volleyball Coaches Association  Honorable Mention All-America honors after being voted to the AVCA All-South Region Team.

  Barringer earned USA South all-conference honors all four years at Averett, including first team recognition twice.

Barringer also succeeded off the court as a three-time USA South Academic all-conference selection.

As a junior, Barringer earned Averett’s prestigious Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award and was named Averett’s Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior.

Barringer was named the female recipient of the USA South’s prestigious Don Scalf Award as the conference’s student-athlete of the year and she was selected as USA South’s Woman of the Year.

Barringer has served as a summer volleyball camp instructor and has coached club volleyball with Carolina Juniors Volleyball (Charlotte) and Sports Academy (Statesville).

Legion baseball

Rowan County American Legion will hold a practice on Friday at 6 p.m. for  players whose season has ended.

Pitching lessons

Former East Rowan star Joseph Peeler, who has  college and pro pitching experience, is offering pitching lessons.

Contact Peeler at 704-267-4719.

Baseball camp

The 29th annual Piedmont Pitchers/Catchers Camp will be held on July 11 and 12 at Central Davidson High.

The camp is for ages 6-18. Featured instructor is Duke head coach Chris Pollard.  Contact Mike Lawson at  336-239-0139 or wlawson@ davidson.k12.nc.us.

Prep baseball

While West Rowan advanced in the second round of the 3A state playoffs on  Thursday, most second-round games are set for Saturday. Carson is at Crest at 7, South Rowan is at Ledford at 7,  East Rowan is at Marvin Ridge at 7, and A.L. Brown is at Providence at 5 p.m.

Prep softball

Olivia Boger pitched a one-hitter as Davie County’s softball team won at Butler, 6-1, in a 4A second-round game on Thursday.

Davie took control of a tight game with a five-run fifth.

Bridgett Tierney had two hits and two RBIs. Makenzie Smith and K’lea Parks had two hits each. Davie had 10 hits.

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Mooresville won at A.L. Brown, 2-1, in 13 innings on  Thursday in a second-round playoff game.

Mooresville scored in the fifth. The Wonders tied it in the seventh when Kelly Chrismon drove in a run.

No one scored after that until Mooresville finally pushed across a run in the 13th.

Mooresville pitcher Joelle Davis and A.L. Brown hurler Ashlynn Stokes threw complete games.

Stokes struck out nine. Davis struck out six.

Madalyn Spossey and Mariah Pearson drove in runs for Mooresville.

Lauren Ritchie had two hits for the Wonders.

•••

In South Rowan’s 2-1 loss to Enka on Wednesday, Whitley Arnott pitched a complete game. Brooke Lowery had two hits and drove in the South run.

•••

Carson was held to two hits in Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to Tuscola. Riley Stewart pitched five innings and had one of the hits. The other Carson hit was Katie Jewell’s second homer of the season.

Prep golf

East Rowan senior Nick Lyerly is the South Piedmont Conference Player of the Year.

Lyerly was joined on the all-conference team by teammates William Garland and Bryson Sprinkle, South Rowan’s Parker Chavis and Andrew Coward, and Carson’s Patrick Street and Zain Tucker.

East Rowan’s Rhett Teems was named SPC Coach of the Year.

Prep tennis

East Rowan’s Robert Gray and Carson’s Hunter Smith were named to the All-South Piedmont Conference team.

Prep soccer

Salisbury soccer returns to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Monroe’s Central Academy (CATA).

Admission is $6 and only NCHSAA passes will be accepted.

College softball

Pfeiffer won against Carson-Newman, 7-4, in nine innings in the opening round of the Southeast Region Tournament in Savannah, Ga.

Kiana Millsaps had four RBIs for Pfeiffer (45-6) and had the go-ahead hit in the ninth.

Makenzie Pennell and   Vada Blue Sherrill also homered for the Falcons. Caitlin Christian was the winning pitcher. Sydney Poole (East Rowan) pitched well in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Pfeiffer takes on Young Harris at 11 a.m. today.

Intimidators

The  Kannapolis Intimidators bullpen locked down the game’s final three innings in a 4-3 win at Augusta on Thursday.

Kannapolis (17-15) will look for a sweep in tonight’s series finale.     Antonio Rodriguez had a game-tying hit in the sixth, and  Brandon Dulin drove in Rodriguez for a 4-3 lead.

Kannapolis starter Alec Hansen (2-3) earned the win.