From staff reports

Carson’s softball team (20-7) hosts Alexander Central tonight at 6 p.m. in the second game of their best-of-three 3A West regional championship series.

Alexander Central (25-5) ended Carson’s 11-game winning streak with a wild,  5-4  victory in Taylorsville on Tuesday.

Carson got 11 hits but had two runners picked off base, including one in the seventh.

Carson staged a comeback in the seventh on Katie Jewell’s two-run, opposite-field double, but after a 72-minute lightning delay the  game finally ended with a bang-bang call at first base — and ejections.

As of Wednesday night, Carson head coach Charissa Duncan expected to be playing tonight’s game — as well as Friday’s game, if a Game 3 is necessary — without first baseman Liza Simmerson and assistant coach Shane Stewart, who calls the pitches for Carson.

Duncan indicated freshman reserve Ellie Wilhelm will play a bigger role tonight, and Kaitlyn Honeycutt, who is usually the DP, might be used in the field.

Carson has a deep talent pool, but it will miss Simmerson’s bat. She’s one of the Cougars’ top hitters.

If a third game is needed, Carson would head back to Taylorsville on Friday.

Legion baseball

Rowan’s home game with Concord was washed out in the fourth inning on Wednesday.

Maddux Holshouser and Daniel Sell had pitched well and Rowan held a 2-1 lead when lightning stopped play. Chandler Lippard and  Trevor Atwood had doubled home runs.

Rowan plays at High Point tonight.

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Stanly County took advantage of 11 walks and two HBPs and beat Kannapolis, 7-2, on Wednesday.

Jordan Howard was the winning pitcher.

Devin Faggart, Jason White and Chase Orrock had two hits for Kannapolis.

Intimidators

GREENSBORO—  Laz Rivera hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and Craig Dedelow had four hits as the Kannapolis Intimidators defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 3-2 on Wednesday.

The home run by Rivera tied the game 2-2.