7-10-21 roundup: Legion baseball, Little League baseball, Pro basketball and baseball

By Richard Walker

Cherryville American Legion Post 100 moved within one victory of the North Carolina Area IV semifinals after shutting out Lincoln County 3-0 on Saturday night at The Corral at East Lincoln High School.

Zane Brockman pitched a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and helped himself at the plate with two hits as Cherryville improved to 13-5 on the season.

Post 100 can wrap up the series on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Cherryville’s Fraley Field. Lincoln County fell to 4-4.

Gaston Braves 5, Rutherford County 1: Jake Bidoglio struck out seven and pitched a three-hitter as the Braves evened their best-of-five quarterfinal series with Rutherford at one game apiece.

Grayson Guy (two hits, three RBIs) and Caleb Burr (two hits) led the Post 144-266 offense as the Braves improved to 10-8 entering Sunday’s 7 p.m. Game 3 against Rutherford County at McNair Field in Forest City.

Queen City 10, Cleveland County 6: Host Queen City scored seven runs in its last three at-bats to put Cleveland County’s season in jeopardy.

Cleveland County (10-6), which won the Western Division regular season title, has to win three straight starting with Sunday’s 7 p.m. game at Keeter Stadium at Veterans Field to keep its season alive.

On Saturday, Ryan Emery (four hits), A.J. Wylie (two hits, one RBI) and Jed Bridges (one hit, two RBIs) led the Cleveland County offense.

 

 

 

 

Junior Legion baseball

The Area IV tournament begins on Monday with teams competing for two spots in the N.C. state tournament in High Point.

Cherryville, which beat South Caldwell 5-2 Saturday to finish its regular season at 11-2, is the top seed in a double-elimination Pod A and hosts Caldwell County. The other Pod A opener has Burns visiting South Caldwell. Games continue through July 16.

East Rutherford is the top seed in double-elimination Pod B and hosts Stuart Cramer. The other Pod B opener has R-S Central visiting Matthews.

 

 

 

Little League baseball

Cherryville lost its state tournament opener 11-3 to Lake Norman in Charlotte.

Cherryville, which won the District 1 title, plays again in the double-elimination tournament on Monday night at 8 p.m.

 

 

 

Pro basketball

Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball was honored during Saturday’s ESPYs with “Best Breakthrough Athlete” after his 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year season. Other nominees were Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), Chase Young (Washington Football Team) and Crystal Dangerfield (Minnesota Lynx).

Ball, selected No. 3 overall by the Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft, averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 28.8 minutes per game in 51 games (31 starts). A highlight of the season came on Jan. 9 when Ball became the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against eventual NBA Eastern Conference finalist Atlanta on Jan. 9.

 

 

Pro baseball

The Gastonia Honey Hunters lost a slugfest at Lancaster 15-12 on Saturday night. It dropped the team’s record to 16-21 entering Sunday’s series finale at Lancaster.