From staff reports
Tuesday playoff games …
GRANITE QUARRY — Seeded 32nd in the 3A West bracket, Dudley tried hard to shock the world.
The Panthers led top-seeded East Rowan 1-0 after three innings at Staton Field, but when the Mustangs resorted to small ball, Dudley began to unravel defensively.
East fans had started to worry when the Mustangs (23-5) finally broke through for two runs in the fourth, with the key playing being a throwing error on a Zeke Stewart bunt.
Then East scored seven times in the fifth and wound up winning big, 11-1, in six innings.
Stewart had a two-run single in the seventh and totaled three RBIs. Mason Phelps had two hits, including a double, and drove in two. Braylen Ketchie had a two-run single in the seventh.
On the mound, Brady Ailshie pitched four innings with eight strikeouts for his fifth win.
Harrison Ailshie relieved his younger brother for the top of the fifth, when it was still a pressure-packed 2-1 game. He was credited with a save. He struck out six Panthers (14-12) in two innings.
Next for the Mustangs is 17th-seeded neighbor Carson on Friday.
•••
BELMONT — Carson had an exciting 4-3 win at South Point in a 3A first-round game.
It was all Cougars (15-9) for a while. With a two-run fourth inning and single runs in the first and fifth, 17th-seeded Carson built a 4-0 lead behind ace pitcher Kendal Sifford, who was in command of the game through the first five innings.
Sixteenth-seeded South Point started to make noise in the sixth. That’s when the Red Raiders scored all three of their runs. Maverick Walters relieved in the sixth. He had an eventful inning, hitting a batter and walking two, but he struck out the side and maintained a 4-3 lead.
Carson Kirk put away the Red Raiders (13-9) in the seventh with three straight strikeouts for the save. Sifford was credited with his ninth win.
Cameron Williamson and TJ Harris supplied most of Carson’s offense.
Williamson had two hits and scored two runs. Harris had two hits, scored one and knocked one in. Jayden Goff had an RBI.
Top-seeded East is next for the Cougars on Friday at Staton Field.
The post High school baseball roundup: Cougars, Mustangs, Falcons advance appeared first on Salisbury Post.
