8-6-26 roundup: Pro football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, Legion baseball

By Richard Walker

Host Cherryville American Legion Post 100’s season ended in the Southeast Regional on Thursday while the Mid-South Regional at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park got underway.

Here are the results and pairings for the two regionals being held in Gaston County:

Region 3 (Southeast)

Fraley Field, Cherryville, N.C.

Wednesday’s results

Game 1: Harrison (Ohio) Post 199 d. Dorado (P.R.) Post 45, 13-3. Starter and winner Corbin Shondel (6-hitter), Jack Geers (2 hits, double, home run, 2 RBIs), Austin Vangen (2 hits, 2 RBIs), Lared Lammers (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Chris Richmond (2 hits, 1 RBI) led Harrison and Fauzi Nofal (2 hits) led Dorado.

Game 2: Florence (S.C.) Post 1 d. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280, 6-3. Starter and winner Brandon Anderson (5 innings), Jaden Atkinson (3 hits, double), Newt Hinson (3 hits, double, home run, 3 RBIs) and James Wyatt Arthur (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Florence and Hank Brown (2 hits, 1 RBI) led Chesapeake.

Game 3: Garner (N.C.) Post 232 d. Wheeling (W. Va.) Post 1, 6-5. Reliever Cam Copley (1 innings, 2 strikeouts) worked out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning for Garner, whose offense was led by Cash Grimsley (2 hits) and Jack Piccini (2 hits). Andrew Murdock (3 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Wheeling.

Game 4: Jacksonville (Fla.) Post 316 d. Cherryville (N.C.) Post 100, 4-3. Reliever and winner Lukas Broughman (2 1/3 innings, 5 strikeouts) and reliever Kaleb Stockwell (1 inning, 2 strikeouts, save) held the hosts scoreless to preserve a one-run victory. Jacksonville manufactured its four runs on two hits, five walks, two hit batters and one Cherryville fielding error. Nate Rollins (triple, 2 walks, 2 runs) led Cherryville.

Thursday’s Results

Game 5: Wheeling (W. Va.) Post 1 d. Dorado (P.R.) Post 45, 2-0 (Dorado eliminated). Starter and winner Aleksander Zanieski (5 1/3 innings, 7 strikeouts) and reliever Erik Blazier (1 2/3 innings, 2 strikeouts, save) combined on a 1-hitter for Wheeling, whose offense was led by Brady Ernest (2 hits, home run, RBI).

Game 6: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Cherryville (N.C.) Post 100, 6-1 (Cherryville eliminated). Starter and winner Joel Flynn (4 2/3 innings, 3 strikeouts) and Santiago Gomez (2 hits, double, 3 RBIs) led Chesapeake and Tyler Gates (home run) led Cherryville.

Game 7: Garner (N.C.) Post 232 d. Harrison (Ohio) Post 199, 11-1 in 5. Reliever and winner Cam Copley (2 innings, 3 strikeouts), Cash Grimsley (4 hits, double, 2 RBIs) and Dylan Palmer (2 hits, 3 RBIs) led Garner.

Game 8: Florence (S.C.) Post 1 d. Jacksonville (Fla.) Post 316, 14-4 in 5. Tristan Hickman (4-hitter, 3 strikeouts), Gabe McLaughlin (2 hits, double, 2 RBIs), Newt Hinson (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and James Wyatt Arthur (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Florence, which used a nine-run bottom of the fifth to knock off previously unbeaten Jacksonville (24-1).

Friday’s Games
Game 9 – Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 vs. Harrison (Ohio) Post 199, 12:30 p.m.
Game 10 – Wheeling (W. Va.) Post 1 vs. Jacksonville (Fla.) Post 316, 4:30 p.m.
Game 11 – Garner (N.C.) Post 232 vs. Florence (S.C.) Post 1, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games
Game 12 – Winner 9 vs. Loser 11, 4:30 p.m.
Game 13 – Winner 10 vs. Winner 11, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Games
Game 14 – Winner 12 vs. Winner 13, 1:30 p.m.
Game 15 (if necessary) 4:30 p.m.

Region 4 (Mid-South)

Sims Park, Gastonia, N.C.

Thursday’s Results

Game 1: Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49 49ers d. Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19, 5-2. Starter and winner Cade Lott (4 innings, 3 strikeouts), reliever JohnDaly Whitaker (3 innings, save) and Colin Flury (double, home run, 3 RBIs) led Tupelo

Game 2: Bryant (Ark.) Blacksox d. Bossier City (La.) Phillies, 5-1. Andrew TateLee (3-hitter, 7 strikeouts), Jaxon Riggs (3 hits) snd Jake Elliot (2 hits, double) led Bryant.

Game 3: Baldwin County (Ala.) Post 199 d. Ada (Okla.) Braves, 4-3. Reliever and winner Colin Watson (4 innings, 6 strikeouts as pitcher, 2 hits, triple, game-winning run), K.C. Jones (2 hits), Noah Mosley (2 hits) and Alex Harrington (walk off sacrifice fly) led Baldwin County.

Friday’s Games
Game 4 – Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19 vs. Bossier City (La.) Phillies, 9:30 a.m.
Game 5 – Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49 49ers vs. Ada (Okla.) Braves, after Game 4
Game 6 – Bryant (Ark.) Blacksox vs. Baldwin County (Ala.) Post 199, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games
Game 7 – Winner 4 vs. Loser 6, 9:30 a.m.
Game 8 – Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 3:30 p.m.
Game 9 – Winner 7 vs. Loser 8, after Game 8

Sunday’s Games
Game 10 – Winner 8 vs. Winner 9, 1 p.m.
Game 11 (if necessary) 4 p.m.

 

 

-American Legion World Series (at Shelby NC)
Stars division: Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Northwest
Stripes division: Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South, Central Plains, Western

(Thursday, Aug. 13)
Northeast vs. Great Lakes, 10 a.m.
Central Plains vs. Western, 1 p.m.
Southeast vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Mid-Atlantic vs. Mid-South, 7:30 p.m.

(Friday, Aug. 14)
Northeast vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Southeast vs. Great Lakes, 7 p.m.

(Saturday, Aug. 15)
Mid-Atlantic vs. Western, noon
Mid-South vs. Central Plains, 3 p.m.
Southeast vs. Northeast, 7:30 p.m.

(Sunday, Aug. 16)
Mid-Atlantic vs. Central Plains, 1 p.m.
Great Lakes vs. Northwest, 4 p.m.
Mid-South vs. Western, 7 p.m.

(Monday, Aug. 17)
Semifinals: Stripes winner vs. Stars runner-up, 4 p.m.
Semifinals: Stars winner vs. Stripes runner-up, 7 p.m.

(Tuesday, Aug. 18)
Championship: Monday winners, 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Pro football

Carolina 33, Arizona 30: Backups played virtually all of the snaps for the Panthers as they opened their 2026 preseason with a Hall of Fame game defeat.

Rookie free agent quarterback Haynes King got most of the plays at that position after Bryce Young’s projected backup Kenny Pickett led Carolina to a touchdown on his third (and final) drive of the contest after he started.

King’s 5-yard touchdown run on the game’s final play gave the Panthers the victory. King finished the contest with 21 completions in 34 attempts for 180 yards and touchdowns to Ja’seem Reed and Anthony Tyus III and rushed three times for 39 yards.

Here is the Panthers’ full 2026 schedule:

(preseason)
Aug. 6 – Arizona (at Canton, Ohio) W 33-30
Aug. 15 – at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Aug. 21 – at Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 28 – Houston, 7 p.m.
(regular season)
Sept. 13 – Chicago, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 – at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 – at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 – Detroit, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 8-12 – BYE week
Oct. 18 – at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 – Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 29 – at Green Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 8 – Denver, 1 p.m.
Nov. 15 – at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 – Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 6 – at Minnesota, 4:25 p.m.
Dec. 13 – New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Dec. 20 – Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 24-28 TBA – at Pittsburgh, TBA
Jan. 3 – Seattle, 1 p.m.
Jan. 9-10 TBA – Atlanta, TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro soccer

The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:

(7-7-4 record)
Saturday, Feb. 21 at St. Louis (T 1-1)
Saturday, Feb. 28 at L.A. Galaxy (L 0-3)
Saturday, March 7 Austin (W 3-1)
Saturday, March 14 Miami (T 0-0)
Saturday, March 21 New York Red Bulls (W 6-1)
Saturday, Apr. 4 Philadelphia (W 2-1)
Saturday, Apr. 11 Nashville (L 1-2)
Saturday, Apr. 18 at New York (W 2-1)
Wednesday, Apr. 22 at Orlando (L 1-4)
Saturday, Apr. 25 at Nashville (L 2-4)
Saturday, May 2 at New England (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 9 Cincinnati (T 2-2)
Wednesday, May 13 New York (L 0-1)
Saturday, May 16 Toronto (W 3-1)
Saturday, May 23 New England (W 1-0)
Wednesday, July 22 Atlanta, 8:00 PM (T 2-2)
Saturday, July 25 at New York Red Bulls (W 2-0)
Saturday, Aug. 1 at Chicago (L 1-2)
Saturday, Aug. 15 Columbus, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 22 DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 29 at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 5 Houston, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 19 at DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 26 Chicago, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 10 Dallas, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Columbus, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, 2:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 24 at Portland, 10:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 28 Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 31 Orlando, 1:00 PM
Saturday, Nov. 7 at Miami, 4:00 PM

(U.S. Open Cup)
Wednesday, Apr. 15 Charlotte Independence (W 6-0)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex
Tuesday, Apr. 28 Atlanta United FC (L 0-2)
…at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex

(Leagues Cup)
Tuesday, Aug. 4 Pumas UNAM (W 3-0)
Friday, Aug. 7 Atlas, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 11 Pachuca, 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

Pro basketball

The Charlotte Hornets have announced their 2026 preseason schedule that features two home games and two road games. The full 2026-27 regular season game will be released in the next few weeks.

The Charlotte Hornets’ 2026-27 schedule:

(Preseason)

Oct. 6 Brooklyn (at Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 Milwaukee (Spectrum Center), 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Memphis, 8 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

Charlotte 8, Durham 5: Ryan Galanie (3 hits, triple) led the Knights to a win in third game of the six-game home series. The fourth game is Saturday at 7:04 p.m.

Here is the full Charlotte Knights’ 2026 schedule:

(60-51 record, 42-33 1st half, 18-18 2nd half)
-1st half
March 27-29 Durham 3-0 (W 19-2, W 2-1 in 11, W 4-3)
March 31-April 5 at Nashville 1-4 (L 3-7, W 9-3, L 0-4, L 6-7, ppd, L 5-7)
April 7-12 Memphis 3-3 (L 4-9, W 7-3, L 1-4, W 9-8 in 10, L 4-6, W 13-4)
April 14-19 at Jacksonville 2-4 (L 0-3, L 2-3, L 3-5, L 1-4, W 2-0, W 9-4)
April 21-26 Nashville 4-3 (L 1-5, W 9-4, W 3-2 in 10, W 11-9, L 5-12, W 16-6, L 1-5)
April 28-May 3 Gwinnett 3-3 (L 7-10, W 10-9, L 5-9, L 3-4, W 21-1, W 10-9)
May 5-10 at Jacksonville 3-3 (W 5-3, L 6-8, W 16-1, W 8-5, L 5-6, L 1-6)
May 12-17 Norfolk 3-3 (L 6-9, L 8-9, W 4-1, W 4-1, L 10-11, W 15-3)
May 19-24 at Gwinnett 4-2 (W 5-4, W 4-3, L 3-7, W 4-3 in 10, L 1-5, W 3-2)
May 26-31 Jacksonville 3-3 (W 4-0, susp, L 3-6, W 12-5, W 12-4, L 6-15, L 5-6)
June 2-7 at Durham 6-0 (W 6-1, W 18-7, W 11-6, W 4-3, W 7-5, W 12-5)
June 9-14 Oklahoma City 3-3 (L 3-6, L 1-10, W 9-8, W 12-7, L 7-11, W 4-3)
June 16-21 at Buffalo 4-2 (L 5-9, W 5-1, W 4-0, W 10-5, L 2-4, W 5-0)
-2nd half
June 23-28 Rochester 2-4 (L 9-10, W 10-2, W 7-6 in 11, L 2-6, L 1-3, L 4-9)
June 30-July 5 at Memphis 2-4 (L 5-10, W 2-0 in 8, L 6-8, L 3-4 in 11, W 8-6, L 1-2 in 11)
July 7-12 Nashville 3-3 (W 8-2, L 3-6, W 9-2, L 9-11, L 2-4, W 12-4)
July 17-19 at Durham 1-2 (L 2-8, W 7-5, L 2-3)
July 21-26 Norfolk 5-1 (W 7-6, W 8-4, ppd, L 1-2, W 6-1, W 7-6 in 10, W 7-4)
July 28-August 2 at Nashville 3-3 (W 6-1, W 12-5, W 6-4, L 2-4, L 3-6, L 3-5)
August 4-9 Durham 2-1 (ppd, W 4-1, L 1-7, W 8-5)
August 11-16 at Rochester
August 18-23 at Scranton-WB
August 25-30 Memphis
September 1-6 at Gwinnett
September 8-13 Buffalo
September 15-20 at Norfolk

 

Here is the full Gastonia Ghost Peppers’ 2026 schedule:

(55-37 record, 40-23 1st half, 15-14 2nd half)
-1st half
April 21-23 at High Point 1-2 (W 3-1, L 5-6, L 0-5)
April 24-26 High Point 3-0 (W 4-3, W 18-8, W 9-2)
April 28-May 3 at York 4-2 (W 14-2, ppd, W 2-1, W 5-4, L 4-5, W 10-2, L 3-9)
May 5-10 Southern Maryland 1-5 (L 2-3, L 11-18, L 2-12, L 4-5, W 7-3, L 1-14)
May 12-17 at Long Island 3-3 (L 3-6, L 3-11, W 10-0, L 4-6, W 8-6, W 6-5)
May 19-20 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 9-4, W 6-2, W 9-6)
May 22-24 at Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 17-4, W 8-4, W 12-4)
May 26-28 at Lexington 3-0 (W 10-6, W 3-2, W 3-1)
May 29-31 Charleston, W.Va. 3-0 (W 6-3, W 10-7, W 9-2)
June 2-7 Lancaster 2-4 (W 11-2, L 1-3, W 14-3, L 3-4, L 8-9, L 5-17)
June 9-14 at Lexington 3-3 (L 13-15, L 6-8, W 7-5, L 9-10, W 7-1, W 12-8)
June 16-21 Staten Island 6-0 (W 10-4, W 9-6, W 26-3, W 11-4, W 12-3, W 13-8)
June 23-28 at Lexington 4-2 (W 4-3, W 6-3, W 7-4, W 8-6, L 5-12, L 4-9)
June 30-July 2 Lexington 1-2 (L 7-9, L 1-11, W 14-6)
-2nd half
July 3-5 Charleston, W.Va. 2-1 (L 13-16, W 10-3, W 13-9)
July 7-12 at Hagerstown 1-5 (L 4-13, L 4-14, L 5-6, L 3-10, W 7-3, L 6-13)
July 14-19 Lexington 2-4 (L 2-9, W 16-5, W 12-11, L 0-9, L 5-7, L 2-6)
July 21-26 at Charleston, W.Va. 4-2 (ppd, L 8-9, W 9-8, W 5-1, L 4-9, W 11-3, W 15-6)
July 28, 30-31-Aug. 2 Hagerstown 4-2 (W 9-8, L 0-5, W 9-6, W 8-2, W 7-4, L 0-1)
Aug. 4-6 Southern Maryland 2-0 (W 10-4, W 20-3, ccd)
Aug. 7-9 at Lexington
Aug. 11-16 at High Point
Aug. 18-23 Charleston, W.Va.
Aug. 25-30 at Southern Maryland
Sept. 1-6 High Point
Sept. 8-10 Lexington
Sept. 11-13 at High Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auto racing

Here is the full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with race winners in parentheses:

Feb. 4 — Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Ryan Preece)
Feb. 15 — Daytona 500 (Tyler Reddick)
Feb. 22 — Atlanta (Reddick-2)
March 1 — Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (Reddick-3)
March 8 — Phoenix (Ryan Blaney)
March 15 — Las Vegas (Denny Hamlin)
March 22 — Darlington, South Carolina (Reddick-4)
March 29 — Martinsville, Virginia (Chase Elliott)
April 5 — off weekend
April 12 — Bristol, Tennessee (Ty Gibbs)
April 19 — Kansas (Reddick-5)
April 26 — Talladega, Alabama (Carson Hocevar)
May 3 — Texas (Elliott-2)
May 10 — Watkins Glen, New York (Shane van Gisbergen)
May 17 — All-Star Race (Dover) (Hamlin-2)
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) (Daniel Suarez)
May 31 — Nashville, Tennessee (Hamlin-3)
June 7 — Michigan (Hamlin-4)
June 14 — Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania (Hamlin-5)
June 21 — San Diego (Corey Heim)
June 28 — Sonoma, California (Shane van Gisbergen)
July 5 — Chicagoland (Chase Briscoe)
July 12 — Atlanta (Blaney-2)
July 19 — North Wilkesboro (Joey Logano)
July 26 — Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis) (Corey Heim)
Aug. 2 — off weekend
Aug. 9 — Iowa
Aug. 15 — Richmond, Virginia
Aug. 23 — New Hampshire
Aug. 29 — Daytona, Florida
Sept. 6 — Darlington
Sept. 13 — Gateway in Madison, Illinois
Sept. 19 — Bristol
Sept. 27 — Kansas
Oct. 4 — Las Vegas
Oct. 11 — Charlotte Roval
Oct. 18 — Phoenix
Oct. 25 — Talladega
Nov. 1 — Martinsville
Nov. 8 — Homestead, Florida

 

 

 

 

Rodeo

Professional Bull Riding Unleash the Beast tour schedule for Greensboro-based Carolina Cowboys:

Feb. 1 – Golden 1 Center Sacramento- Austin Gamblers (L 173.90-256.90)
Feb. 21 – Progressive PBR Jacksonville- Florida Freedom (L 158.70-169.25)
March 22 – Ram Trucks PBR Indianapolis- Nashville Stampede (W 88.70- 0.00)
(DNQ for playoffs)

Team Challenge playoff results
March 29 at Albuquerque: Semifinal- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 4 Florida Freedom 83.65-0.00)
April 17 at Billings: Semifinal- (No. 2 Austin Gamblers def. No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws 87.10-84.50)
April 26 at Tacoma: Championship- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 2 Austin Gamblers 254.75-171.35)

Upcoming events:
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex