7-15-21 roundup: Legion baseball, Pro football and baseball
By Richard Walker
Cherryville American Legion Post 100 took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five N.C. Area IV semifinal series on Thursday at Fraley Field against Mint Hill Post 555 by making a mid-game comback.
Trailing 5-3 after 4 1-2 innings, Cherryville scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to propel Post 100 to an 8-5 victory.
Will Heavner led Cherryville with three hits, a walk and three RBIs, including a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning rally.
Zane Brockman added one hit, three walks and struck out four in two innings of relief to pick up the save. The winner was reliever Landon Hahn, who also had two hits.
Cherryville plays Mint Hill at 7 p.m. on Friday at Independence High School seeking a series sweep for a 23rd Area IV championship series; Post 100 has won 18 titles and finished as runner-up four times.
Rutherford County rallied for an 11-8 win at Queen City on Thursday at Charlotte’s Southview Park to even its best-of-five semifinal series at one game apiece. Game Three of that series is 7 p.m. Friday at R-S Central High School.
Junior Legion baseball
The Area IV tournament began Monday. Here are the results and schedule:
(Pod A)
Monday’s games
Cherryville 14, Caldwell County 7
Burns 3, South Caldwell 1
Tuesday’s games
Burns 8, Cherryville 7 (8 innings)
South Caldwell 5, Caldwell County 1 (Caldwell County eliminated)
Wednesday’s game
Cherryville 4, South Caldwell 1
Friday’s game
Burns at Cherryville
Saturday’s game
If Cherryville wins on Friday
(Pod B)
Monday’s games
East Rutherford 13, Cramer 1
R-S Central 6, Matthews 4
Tuesday’s games
East Rutherford 10, R-S Central 5
Matthews 14, Cramer 4 (Cramer eliminated)
Wednesday’s game
Matthews 2, R-S Central 1
Thursday’s game
Matthews 6, East Rutherford 3
Friday’s game
Matthews at East Rutherford (winner advances to Junior Legion N.C. state tournament in High Point July 22-26)
Pro football
The Carolina Panthers and offensive tackle Taylor Moton negotiated right up until the deadline on Thursday before Moton agreed to a reporter four-year, $72 million contract with with $43 million guaranteed.
Moton is the grandson of former Gastonia Highland High standout Dr. Thomas Gunnings, Jr.
Moton, previously declared a franchise player, agreed to terms on a new multi-year deal with the team just before Thursday’s 4 p.m. deadline for such a deal.
Moton, 26, has been one of the most durable, consistent and productive players in recent years. He started every game the last three seasons, played every snap last year, and was only called for one penalty. He only missed six snaps in 2019.
Pro basketball
The Charlotte Hornets had pre-NBA Draft workouts with the following candidates on Thursday: Jahvon Blair of Georgetown, Tahj Eaddy of Southern California, Balsa Koprivica of Florida State, Sterling Manley of North Carolina and M.J. Walker of Florida State.
Pro football
Carolina Panthers fans can enjoy a night of football, fireworks and fun at the team’s annual Fan Fest presented by Daimler Trucks North America at Bank of America Stadium on Friday, Aug. 6.
Tickets to Fan Fest are $5 and go on sale beginning Tuesday, July 20 at 10 a.m. on Panthers.com and Ticketmaster.
Gates will open at 5:30 p.m., with on-field entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. and a practice begins at 7:30 p.m. with a fireworks/laser show to cap the night at 9:15 p.m.
Pro baseball
The Gastonia Honey Hunters fell to 18-24 after an 11-2 Atlantic League of Professional Baseball loss at High Point.
Gastonia returns home to Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park for a three-game home series against West Virginia that starts on Friday at 6:50 p.m.