Staff report
CHINA GROVE – Carson’s baseball team took its best shot on Friday’s Senior Night, but South Rowan finished a season sweep of the Cougars.
The Raiders prevailed 7-4 and tied for second with West Rowan in the South Piedmont Conference, two games behind East Rowan.
The win was significant for South in other ways, as the Raiders (20-4, 11-3) reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth time in school history. They play more games now than they did in the old days, and that helps. but 20 wins is 20 wins. South also reached 20 wins in 1984, 1996, 2014 and 2022. The 2022 state champs hold the record with 30 wins.
Carson starting pitcher Dylan Alexander has been good this year (3.11 ERA) and only walked one, but the Raiders came out swinging the bats. They got 10 of their 11 hits in the first four innings against Alexander. They scored at least one run in each of the first four innings.
Maverick Walters made a Senior Night appearance on the mound in relief for the Cougars. The Charleston Southern recruit was making only his third pitching appearance of the season. He quieted the South bats the last three innings and gave the Cougars a chance to rally, but they could not.
South pitchers Matt Overcash and Colton Helms combined for three walks and three strikeouts. They limited the Cougars (10-13, 8-6) to four hits.
Carson had a three-run first inning for a 3-all tie, but didn’t hit much after that.
Kendal Sifford scored two runs and had two RBIs. Jase Overcash knocked in a run.
The Cougars finished fourth in the SPC.
South is sixth in the statewide 4A RPI rankings, Several of the teams ahead of South will fall into in the 4A East bracket. South is probably going to be a 3 or 4 seed in the 4A West bracket.
South 321 100 0 – 7
Carson 300 001 0 – 4
L – Alexander (3-4).
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SPENCER – North Rowan lost 15-0 and 21-0 to North Stanly in Thursday’s Yadkin Valley Conference doubleheader.
Justin Tyler had the only hit for North Rowan in the one-sided twin bill.
Donnie Rogers pitched a complete game for the Cavaliers in the first game. It went four innings. Caleb Everett and Jordan Grant pitched in the second game. It lasted three innings.
North Stanly (20-4, 9-1) finished tied for first in the 2A/3A YVC with South Stanly.
North Rowan (3-18, 1-9) tied for fifth with Albemarle.
North Rowan has a chance to make the 2A state playoffs. The Cavaliers are 49th in the latest 2A RPI rankings, and 48 teams will make the brackets.
Game 1
North Stanly 182 4 – 15
North Rowan 000 0 – 0
Game 2
North Stanly 6 (10) 5 -21
North Rowan 000 – 0
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A.L. Brown won 4-1 against West Cabarrus on Friday. The Wonders (16-8, 10-4) finished in third place in the Greater Metro Conference behind Hickory Ridge and Cox Mill.
