7-22-21 roundup: Legion baseball, High school football and baseball, Pro basketball and baseball
By Richard Walker
Off for six days after sweeping its first six North Carolina Area IV playoff games, some wondered if the time away would make Cherryville American Legion Post 100 rusty.
Not a chance.
Cherryville rolled to a 15-0 victory over Rutherford County by the five-inning, 10-run mercy rule to move within one victory of a record 19th Area IV championship.
Post 100 (18-5) won nine straight and goes for the Area IV title in the second game of the best-of-five series on Friday at 7 p.m. at home against Rutherford County (16-8).
Cherryille scored once in the first inning, twice in the second inning and blew the game open with a 12-run third inning.
Brett Mason (three hits, one RBI) and Samuel Duncan (two hits, four RBIs) led the Post 100 offense and starter and winner Zach Wilson (4-0) and reliever Noah Ingle combined on a one-hitter on the mound.
Elsewhere in the state:
In the Eastern Division of Area I, Wayne County is the unbeaten team in the double-elimination tournament and hosts Pitt County on Friday.
In the Western Division of Area I, Fuquay-Varina is the unbeaten team in the double-elimination tournament and host Wake Forest on Friday.
The winner of the Eastern and Western Division tournaments will meet for the area title.
In Area II, Port City swept Hampstead three games to none in one best-of-five semifinal and Wilmington leads Hamlet two games to none entering Friday. Port City will meet the Wilmington-Hamlet winner for the area title
And in Area III, Rowan County swept High Point two games to none and Kannapolis swept Randolph County two games to none in the semifinals. Rowan County and Kannapolis will meet for the area title.
Junior Legion baseball
The N.C. state tournament is currently being played at High Point’s Finch Field and Truist Point and Lexington’s Holt-Moffitt Field.
The 2021 tournament schedule:
Thursday’s games
(at Truist Point)
High Point 11, Cherryville 9
Morehead City 8, Kinston 5
(at Finch Field)
Carson 3, Matthews 2
(at Holt-Moffitt Field)
Davidson County 8, Wayne County 1
Friday’s games
(at Holt-Moffitt Field)
Morehead City vs. Cherryville, 4 p.m.
High Point vs. Kinston, 6:45 p.m.
(at Truist Point)
Wayne County vs. Carson, 4 p.m.
Davidson County vs. Matthews, 6:45 p.m.
Saturday’s games
(at Finch Field)
Cherryville vs. Kinston, 1 p.m.
High Point vs. Morehead City, 3:45 p.m.
(at Holt-Moffitt Field)
Matthews vs. Wayne County, 1 p.m.
Carson vs. Davidson County, 3:45 p.m.
Sunday’s games
(at Finch Field)
Semifinals at 2 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Monday’s game
(at Finch Field)
Championship game, 2 p.m.
High school football
The West beat the East 7-0 in Wednesday’s annual All-Star game played at Greensboro Grimsley’s Jamieson Stadium and Burns High’s Alphonso Goodson was named defensive MVP.
The only touchdown was a 1-yard run for Hezekia Newby of Eastern Guilford High with 8:13 left in the third quarter of the defensive battle.
The West outgained the East 155 to 152 with offensive MVP Rodney McDay of Skyland Roberson the top offensive ground-gainer with three catches for 77 yards.
High school baseball
Lincoln Charter pitcher Mason Smith has announced he commitment to play baseball at East Carolina.
Smith, who is about to start his senior year, helped the Eagles go 15-2 last season and 11-1 in the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference to share the league title with Cherryville.
Pro basketball
The Charlotte Hornets held a pre-NBA Draft workout on Thursday with seven players – Justin Champagnie of Pittsburgh, Marek Dolezaj of Syracuse, Juwan Durham of Notre Dame, Ty Gadsden of UNC-Wilmington, Neemias Queta of Utah State, Colbey Ross of Pepperdine and Moses Moody of Arkansas.
Pro baseball
The Gastonia Honey Hunters won 9-1 at Southern Maryland on Thursday to improve to 22-27 on the season.
Gastonia starts a three-game series at West Virginia on Friday.