From staff reports

GRANITE QUARRY — McCall Henderson homered and drove in four runs as East Rowan crushed West Meck 11-0 in the first round of the 3A state playoffs on Tuesday.

Henderson and Harrison Ailshie went 2-for-2. Ailshie scored two runs.

Cobb Hightower tripled and Braden Shive doubled for the top-seeded Mustangs (27-1), who cruised after scoring five runs in the first inning against the Hawks (8-14-1), who were seeded 32nd.

Ailshie and Mason Phelps combined to get the job done on the mound. They combined on a two-hitter in the five-inning game and struck out nine.

East will play at home in the second round on Friday against 17th-seeded St. Stephens.

St. Stephens (15-6) won 7-4 against North Gaston.

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MONROE — Carson, seeded 24th, won 4-0 at ninth-seeded Piedmont in a 3A first-round game on Tuesday.

Daxton Savage pitched the shutout, allowing two hits and striking out three.

Savage and Cam Williamson had three hits each for the Cougars (16-11).

Corbin Hales and Jayven Parks had two hits.

Savage and Hales had RBIs.

Carson will play at home on Friday as 25th-seeded Central Davidson (11-11) won 1-0 against eighth-seeded Ashe County in the first round.

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KINGS MOUNTAIN — West Rowan ended the season with a 1-0 loss at Kings Mountain in a first-round game played on Tuesday.

Seeded 14th, Kings Mountain (17-7) got a homer leading off the fifth inning by Brayden Patrick, and that made the difference.

Seeded 19th, the Falcons (17-9) got a strong pitching effort by Corbin Bailey, but couldn’t get the bats going.

Bailey pitched five innings. He allowed four hits and one walk and struck out four. Drew Burton pitched a scoreless sixth.

Gage Scruggs and Luke Ponczka had the only hits for the Falcons.

Aidan Taylor pitched a gem for Kings Mountain. Colton Mayes relieved and got the last out.