From staff reports

KANNAPOLIS — Cameron Padgett did it again on Monday.

East Rowan’s senior right-hander shut out Northwest Cabarrus 2-0, as the Mustangs (20-3, 12-1) maintained a torrid pace in the South Piedmont Conference.

Padgett (9-0) threw 73 of his 100 pitches for strikes. He fanned 12, walked one and limited the Trojans (14-6, 8-5) to three hits.

East couldn’t muster much offense against Northwest Cabarrus hurler Terry Kaler, who also went the distance on the mound and struck out eight. He allowed four hits and two walks.

East scored both runs in the second inning. Aiden Schenck singled to start the inning, and Austin Fulk walked. Tristan Miller moved the runners up, and Logan Dyer, rapped a ground ball through the right side to plate both runners.

The teams are scheduled to play again at Staton Field on Friday.

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MOUNT ULLA — South Rowan left-hander Haiden Leffew struck out 11 and led the Raiders to a tense 4-2 win at West Rowan on Monday.

South (17-4, 12-1) kept pace with East Rowan in the South Piedmont Conference and had to beat West ace Casey Gouge (5-3) to do it.

The best time to get to Gouge is early, and South had a very quick start with three runs in the top of the first.

A walk to Kane Kepley and singles by Nathan Chrismon and Ty Hubbard set the table. Kepley was able to score when a pitch got past the catcher, and cleanup man Jacob Ritchie made it 3-0 with a two-run single.

Gouge settled in after that and got a double-play grounder to end the first, but Leffew (7-1) made those early runs stand up.

West (13-8, 8-5) got on the board in the fifth on a run-scoring single by freshman Brice Knox.

South added an insurance run in the seventh as Gouge approached the pitch-count limit. Chrismon, who had two hits and scored two runs, drew a walk, and Hubbard’s triple, his third hit of the night against Gouge, a future Catawba teammate, gave South a 4-1 lead.

Leffew, who scattered five hits and three walks, was at 98 pitches after six innings. Oddie replaced him on the mound in the seventh.

Zach McNeely’s one-out double got a last-ditch rally started for the Falcons. Walks to Luke Graham and Gouge around a strikeout filled the bases. Zander Burton walked to force home a run, but Oddie didn’t wilt. He got a strikeout to end the game.

The teams will play again at South. That regular-season finale is scheduled for Friday.

South will be playing for its first regular-season conference title (or co-title) since 2005.

South also will host next week’s SPC tourney semifinals and championship game.

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SALISBURY — Cole Price had three doubles and three RBIs as Salisbury beat North Hills Christian 16-3 on Monday.

The Hornets scored seven runs in the seventh.

Reed Fugle hit a three-run homer for the Hornets. Kaleb Burleyson had two hits, drove in two and scored three.

Hank Webb was the winning pitcher for the Hornets (11-9). He struck out nine in four innings. Price and Evan Koontz finished on the mound.

Jackson Hall had three hits for North Hills.