From staff reports
Sweeping five straight games, Rowan County won the relatively peaceful B Bracket of the Area III playoffs.
Rowan (23-6) now awaits the winner of Bracket A, where a protest over an illegal bat (upheld by area commissioner Jim Lippard) pushed the proceedings back a full day.
High Point beat Randolph 11-7 on Tuesday, but when a Randolph protest was upheld the game had to replayed Wednesday, starting from the point of protest — the fifth inning. The final score changed but not the verdict. High Point won 7-6 and stayed alive in the double-elimination event.
High Point eliminated Winston-Salem 3-1 on the road on Thursday and now must travel to Randolph’s McCrary Park again tonight to determine the bracket winner and Rowan County’s opponent in the Area III championship series.
If Rowan matches up with Randolph, also a No. 1 seed, a coin flip will be employed to determine who gets home-field advantage to open a best-of-three series.
If High Point advances, it would play at Rowan on Saturday night. The teams would travel to High Point’s Finch Field on Sunday and return to Newman Park on Monday if a third game is needed.
Rowan third baseman Avery Rogers will take an eight-game hitting streak into the Area III championship series.
Rowan already has qualified, along with host Morehead City (Area II), Cherryville, Cary and Wayne County, for the five-day, eight-team state tournament, which is now set to begin on July 22.
Hope Mills and Wilmington are contending for the one available berth in Area II, while Hickory and Caldwell County are still battling for one of the spots from Area IV.
Rowan will play one of the early games — 9:30 a.m or 12:30 p.m. — on July 22. Area III is matched up with Area I (Cary and Wayne County) in the first round.
The state tournament bracket is in today’s Scoreboard.
The Southeast Regional is set for Aug. 4-8 in Sumter, S.C. The World Series will be held in Shelby on Aug. 12-16.
Rowan B Little League
For only the second time in Rowan Little League’s 55- year history the 9-10 year old division has become the District 2 Champions, clinching the title on Wednesday night. The team moves on to the double-elimination state tournament this weekend in Brevard.
The players are Alex Antosek, Cade Bernhardt, Daniel Durham, Cole Hales, Caleb Mauldin, Jaxon Mays, Cole Myers, Bo Rusher, Olen Stamper and Payne Stolsworth.
The manager is Bobby Rusher. Coaches are Rob Hales and Jeff Bernhardt.
Individuals or businesses interested in making a donation to help with expenses for the trip to Brevard should contact Lynn Bernhardt at 704-267-1145 or Dan Wales at 704-798-9583. All donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.
Wood bat leagues
Asheboro’s Trey Holmes (East Rowan) and High Point’s J.J. Jankowski (Catawba) were selected to play in the Coastal Plain League All-Star Game.
Holmes will participate in Sunday’s Home Run Derby but is attending summer school at Appalachian State and won’t be able to play in Monday’s all-star game. He won’t return to the Asheboro squad until after his summer school session.
Third baseman Noah Holmes, Trey’s younger brother, has been activated to play for the Copperheads.
Noah pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth and singled in the winning run in Asheboro’s 2-1 win against Forest City on Thursday.
Appalachian State’s Preston Troutman (East) is batting .351 for the Pineville Pioneers of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. He ranks sixth in the league.
Minor leagues
Keegan Linza (North Rowan) allowed one run on Thursday but made it through the eighth inning and helped Bristol hold off Bluefield 5-4 in Appy League action on Thursday.
Linza has an ERA of 1.17. In eight pro relief appearances, he’s fanned nine and has yet to walk a batter.
n Burlington’s Rudy Brown (South Rowan) allowed three runs in 11/3 innings on Thursday, but all the runs were unearned.
Brown’s ERA is 1.35.
Independent leagues
After missing about a month, Garrett Sherrill (A.L. Brown) is back pitching for the Lincoln Salt Dogs of the American Association.
He appeared healthy on Tuesday, mowing down nine straight hitters in relief and striking out three against the Kansas City T-Bones.
David Thomas (Catawba) homered on three consecutive nights recently for the Grand Prairie Air Hogs and has lifted his batting average to .281 with a hot streak. Thomas had two hits, two walks and three runs scored in a win against the Fort Worth Cats on Wednesday.
Fargo-Moorhead’s Zach Ward (A.L. Brown) struck out seven in 51/3 innings in his most recent start against Winnipeg but didn’t get the decision in a 6-5 win.
Ward is 3-5 with a 4.57 ERA.
Local golf
In the third Junior Mac Tournament of the summer at McCanless, Landon Shuping and Preston Whicker shot 60s to tie for first in the 9-under division.
Nick Lyerly won the 10-13 division with a 33, while Logan Shuping shot 34. Bryson Sprinkle shot 40.
In the 14-17 division, Kirk Kovach won with a 39. Liam Pendergrass and Jacob Durham shot 52s to tie for second.
Longest-drive winners were Landon Shuping, Logan Shuping and Jimmy Ritchey.
Adam Mitchell, with rounds of 66-65 — 131, leads the eGolf Tour’s seventh annual Southern Open being held at The Club at Irish Creek.
n East football
Reserve seating for East Rowan football is now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the main office from 8:30-3, starting Monday, July 18. Call 704-279-5232 for info.