6-28-21 roundup: Legion baseball, College baseball and Pro hockey and baseball

By Richard Walker

Cleveland County American Legion Post 82-155 dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker at Asheville on Monday night in N.C. Area IV Western Division baseball.

Post 82-155, which was led by Blake Davis (two hits) and Jeb Bridges (one hit, two RBIs), fell to 9-2 overall but remains atop the divisional standings.

Cherryville 8, Rutherford 7 (8 innings): A hit batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning was the difference for host Rutherford County in a win at McNair Field in Forest City. Zach Wilson (four hits, one RBI, two stolen bases, three runs) and Joseph Webb (two hits, one RBI) led Cherryville.

Mint Hill 9, Gaston Braves 8: Host Mint Hill scored twice in the fifth and four times in the sixth inning to rally from a 7-3 deficit to improve to 6-2 and move into first place of the Eastern Division of Area IV. Caleb Burr (two hit) and Grayson Guy (two hits, two RBIs) led the Braves.

 

 

 

Pro hockey

When the National Hockey League expands to 32 teams for the upcoming 2021-22 season, they will be sending top players to the Charlotte Checkers American Hockey League affiliate.

The Seattle Kraken reached an agreement with the Florida Panthers to share Charlotte as their affiliate.

“The AHL plays such a key role in the development of NHL players,” said Kraken general manager Ron Francis, the former Carolina Hurricanes star player and general manager. “This is a very important decision for the long-term success of our organization.”

Seattle is expected to send the Checkers with eight to 12 players, likely some of the 30 players the Kracken will choose during the July expansion draft.

 

 

 

 

 

College baseball

The 2021 CWS pairings and results:

Saturday’s games
Game 1: N.C. State 10, No. 9 Stanford 4
Game 2: No. 4 Vanderbilt 7, No. 5 Arizona 6 (12 innings)

Sunday’s games
Game 3: Virginia 6, No. 3 Tennessee 0
Game 4: No. 7 Mississippi State 2, No. 2 Texas 1

Monday, June 21
Game 5: Stanford 14, Arizona 5 (Arizona eliminated)
Game 6: N.C. State 1, Vanderbilt 0

Tuesday, June 22
Game 7: Texas 8, Tennessee 4 (Tennessee eliminated)
Game 8: Mississippi State 6, Virginia 5

Wednesday, June 23
Game 9: Vanderbilt 6, Stanford 5 (Stanford eliminated)

Thursday, June 24
Game 10: Texas 6, Virginia 2

Friday, June 25
Game 11: Vanderbilt 3, N.C. State 1
Game 12: Texas 8, Mississippi State 5

Saturday, June 26
Game 13: N.C. State (37-19) vs. Vanderbilt (48-16), no contest (N.C. State eliminated)
Game 14: Mississippi State 4, Texas 3 (Texas eliminated)

Finals – Vanderbilt (48-16) vs. Mississippi State (48-17)
Best-of-3
Game 1: Monday, Vanderbilt 8-2
Game 2: Tuesday, Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State, 7 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State, 7 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

The Gastonia Honey Hunters (12-14) continue their 10-game homestand with a 6:50 p.m. game on Tuesday night against Southern Maryland.