From staff reports
After a week-long series with Mocksville, Rowan County will have no down-time.
Rowan, the fifth-seeded team from the Southern Division, starts an Area III semifinal series tonight at High Point’s Finch Field.
The winner of this best-of-five series qualifies for the state tournament.
Jared Mathis will pitch for Rowan (18-17) tonight.
Coached by Rob Shore, High Point Post 87 (23-5) is the No. 2 seed from the Northern Division.
High Point won its second-round series with Kernersville in four games and swept Lexington in its first-round series.
High Point won Area III in 2011 for the fourth title in program history. High Point beat Rowan in the finals. Both teams then competed in the state tournament.
High Point, as its record indicates, is very strong again this summer.
“They’re a good ball team,” Lexington coach Chris Sotriffer told the Lexington Dispatch after High Point ended Lexington season. “They can run the bases. They can hit throughout the lineup. They’ve got unlimited arms. They make great defensive plays.”
Statesville, the Southern Division’s No. 7 seed, opens its Area III semifinal series against Northern Division No. 1 seed Randolph tonight at South Iredell.
Both teams are rested.
Statesville Post 65 is an offensive team and has put up double-digit runs four times in the playoffs.
Randolph (27-5) swept Burlington-Graham in the second round after ousting Winston-Salem in the first round. Statesville (15-17) has knocked out higher seeds Kannapolis and the Mooresville Moors.
Games 2 and 3 are scheduled for Asheboro’s McCrary Park.
Randolph is starting the series on the road because of a scheduling conflict with the Coastal Plain League team based at McCrary.
Mocksville’s Ryan Foster finished the season with a 6-0 record and program-record ERA of 0.90.
Minor leagues
Kannapolis Intimidators right fielder Bill Rice hit for the second cycle in franchise history on Sunday at Greensboro.
Rice went 4-for-5 with three RBIs.
He tripled to lead off the eighth inning to complete the cycle. Rice homered in the second, singled in the third and doubled in the fifth.
The only other cycle in franchise history occurred on July 3, 2008, when Dale Mollenhauer went 4-for-5 against Lake County.
The Intimidators and Grasshoppers play the third game of a four-game series tonight at NewBridge Bank Park.
Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) had two hits on Sunday and helped Birmingham batter Huntsville 14-3 in a Southern League game.
Rudy Brown (South) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Kane County on Sunday in a 6-3 loss to West Michigan in the Midwest League.
Catawba football
Wide receiver Brandon Ford (North Rowan) has completed two years at Caldwell Community College.
Ford played basketball at Caldwell and had basketball offers, but he hopes to return to the football field with Catawba as a walk-on this fall.
Junior Legion
The Rowan County Junior Legion team finished with a 22-7 record. Brian Hightower was the head coach.
Local golf
Roy Dixon III shot 71-74-75-71 — 291 (7-over) and tied for 35th in the Amateur Championship of the Carolinas held at Charlotte Country Club.
Carson Young, 17, shot 276 to win the event.
• The McCanless Couples played a four- man Captain’s Choice format on Sunday.
Members of the winning team were Ty and Bev Cobb, Susan Houston and Ricky Honeycutt. Placing second were Phyllis Myers, Don Goodnight, Harry Owens and Treva Honeycutt. The longest putt on No. 5 was by Ty Cobb. Closest to the pin on No. 3 was won by Bev Cobb.
Football seats
The West Rowan Athletic Boosters are accepting renewal requests for reserved seating for the upcoming football season.
The deadline to reserve your seats from last year will be Friday, July 20.
After that date, any seats not renewed will be open to the public for purchase. Please contact Jim Haire at 704-202-5682 after 6:30 p.m. on weeknights or any time on weekends — or email him at jimhaire4@gmail.com.
It’s again time for the sale of reserved seats at South Rowan High School for the Raider football season.
Tickets will go on sale to current season- ticket holders from today until Tuesday, July 31.
Remaining seats will go on sale to the general public, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1.
This year there are five regular-season home games included in the $35 price.
Tickets may be purchased in the main office of the school, Monday through Thursday from 8-12 or 1-3:30. Call the school if these dates pose a problem (704-857-1161).
Anyone interested in reserved parking for Friday night football, should contact Ann White at 704-857-5159.