7-25-21 roundup: Legion baseball, Pro basketball and baseball
By Richard Walker
Cherryville Post 100’s Junior American Legion program will go after its first state championship on Monday at 2 p.m.
Coach Stan Haynes’ team knocked off Carson 10-4 on Sunday in the semifinals to advance into the state title game against Area IV rival Matthews.
Carson entered the game 3-0 in pool play and 23-2 overall but Cherryville scored three times in the fourth inning and five in the seventh inning to improve to 18-4 overall this season.
Cherryville’s best previous finish in three state tournaments was third in 2008.
Matthews (22-10-1) eliminated host High Point 6-3.
Cherryville defeated Matthews in their two regular season meetings this season – 13-4 at Butler High School on June 18 and 9-0 at Cherryville on June 26.
Monday’s matchup is the first time the state final has pitted two Area IV teams against one another.
Here are the previous Junior Legion state championship results:
2001 Fuquay-Varina 8, Wayne County 0
2002 Cary d. Wayne County
2003 Snow Hill d. unknown
2004 Cary 8, Surry County 1
2005 South Caldwell 4, Kinston 0
2006 Cary 3-3-4, Southern Alamance 7-0-0
2007 Kernersville 5, Cary 4
2008 Cary 5, Mooresville 2
2009 Mooresville 7, Rutherford County 1
2010 West Johnston 9, Mooresville 2
2011 West Johnston 1, South Caldwell 0
2012 Cary 8, Mooresville 1
2013 Mint Hill Army 9, Kernersville 3
2014 South Caldwell 8, Swansboro 1
2015 Davidson County 7, South Caldwell 6
2016 Rutherford County 8, Bear Grass 7
2017 South Caldwell 4, Concord 2
2018 Windsor 10, Mocksville 0 (5 innings)
2019 R-S Central 4, South Rowan 3
Here are the results of the N.C. state tournament that is being played at High Point’s Finch Field and Truist Point and Lexington’s Holt-Moffitt Field.
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)
Cherryville 18, Morehead City 8, 6 innings
High Point 4, Kinston 3
(at Truist Point)
Carson 11, Wayne County 5
Matthews 8, Davidson County 4
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)
Cherryville 10, Carson 4
Matthews 6, High Point 3
Monday’s game
(at Finch Field)
Championship game – Cherryville vs. Matthews, 2 p.m.
Pro basketball
The Charlotte Hornets held two more pre-NBA Draft workouts this weekend.
On Saturday, they worked out Sam Cunliffe of Evansville, Marcus Garrett of Kansas, Austin Reaves of Oklahoma, Jordan Schakel of San Diego State, Isaiah Todd of the G League and McKinley Wright IV of Colorado.
Todd also is a former N.C. high school player; He played at Raleigh’s Trinity Christian and Raleigh’s Word of God high schools.
On Sunday, the Hornets worked out Giorgi Bezhanishvili of Illinois, Javonte Smart of LSU, Ziaire Williams of Stanford and Damien Jefferson of Creighton.
The team has now held 14 workouts with 67 different prospects.
Pro baseball
Gastonia dropped its series at West Virginia two games to one after winning 13-6 on Saturday and losing 9-2 on Sunday.
The Honey Hunter Hunters (23-29) is off on Monday before beginning a three-game homestand against High Point on Tuesday at 6:50 p.m.