Appalachian State University baseball would lead the ballgame for three innings to start the night before dropping a seven-run fifth inning that allowed No. 15 Wake Forest to get the 10-3 win on Tuesday night at Keeter Stadium.

The Mountaineers (19-33) were led by Chandler Seagle (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) who finished 2-for-3 on the night with a double and an RBI while the 15th-ranked Demon Deacons (36-16) used 14 hits and three innings to score their 10 runs.

Matt Vernon (Advance, N.C./Davie County (Florence-Darlington Tech), Drake Zupcic (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) and Conner Leonard (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reagan) also finished with a hit on the night.

Jason Curtis (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) kept the streak alive, getting a single in the game to extend his reached base streak to an impressive 17.

The Diamond Apps used three pitchers overall with Bobby Hampton (Pikeville, N.C./A.B. Aycock) getting his usual start and striking out five batters in four innings. Sean Mason (Austin, Texas/McNeil) provided two innings of relief, allowing just three hits before Tristan Helms (Aberdeen, N.C./Pinecrest) fanned three in the final two innings.

Offensively, a leadoff single by Zupcic started things off in the second for the Black and Gold. Matt Brill (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) then drew a four-pitch walk before a sacrifice bunt from Brian Bauk (Salisbury, N.C./Salisbury) moved everyone forward.

Calev Grubbs (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) then was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Mountaineers capitalized on a wild pitch that allowed both Brill and Zupcic to score. Seagle then punched an RBI single up the middle to bring home Grubbs.

The Mountaineers will conclude its Sun Belt and regular season schedule with a three-game series against the defending World Series Champions, Coastal Carolina, that begins Thursday at 2 p.m.

3A
Marvin Ridge: 3
Fred T. Foard: 2
Tigers season ends at 19-6.

4A
Southeast Guilford: 10
South Caldwell: 0
Spartans season ends at 19-6.

2A
Draughn: 5
South Stokes: 1
Wildcats advance to the fourth round going to Parkwood Friday.

4A
Alexander Central: 10
Southwest Guilford: 0
Cougars advance to the fourth round hosting

North Davidson: 3
South Caldwell: 1
Spartans season ends at 21-7.

Yanio Perez had three hits and two RBI, and Kyle Cody struck out 10 hitters over seven innings as the Hickory Crawdads defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 6-1 on Tuesday.

Cody (1-4) picked up the win after he walked one while allowing four hits.

Hickory went up 6-0 in the second after Perez hit a two-run single as part of a four-run inning.

Jordan Holloway (0-1) went 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs and four hits while walking three in the South Atlantic League game.

The Crawdads improve to 15-23 on the first half of the season. Hickory is off on Wednesday. The Crawdads go on the road Thursday, travelling to Kannapolis.

The Texas Rangers have announced their monthly minor league awards for April, and a pair of Crawdads are being honored for their impressive month. Infielder Yanio Perez has been named Rangers Minor League Player of the Month while outfielder Leody Taveras takes the title of Rangers Defender of the Month.

Perez, 21, batted .358/.453/.642 in 23 games with the 'Dads, posting the highest OPS (1.095) in the South Atlantic League and 9th-highest in all of minor league baseball. The Cuba native was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for April 24th-30th. Perez signed with Texas as a free agent in 2016.

Taveras, 18, started 22 games in center field and did not commit an error in 50 total chances. At the plate, the switch hitter batted .247 (24-97) with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 11 runs, and 2 stolen bases. A native of the Dominican Republic, Taveras signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 2015.

Two other former 'Dads were also honored by the Rangers as well, as Frisco's Collin Wiles was named Pitcher of the Month and Ricardo Rodriguez was named Reliever of the Month with the Wood Ducks.

Six members of the Lenoir-Rhyne University Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Team were named to the 2017 NCAA Division II USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region Team. USTFCCCA is the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Two athletes – senior Domonique Jones (Greensboro, Ga.) and freshman Autumn Drayton (Charlotte, N.C.) – earned all-region accolades in two events: Jones in the discus and hammer throw and Drayton in the discus and shot put.

Jones holds the school record in the hammer (163’3”) and won the event at the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Championships. Jones, a five-time first-place finisher in the hammer throw this outdoor season, was named the 2017 SAC Women’s Field Athlete Of The Year.

Drayton won the discus (135’6”) and set the school record in the shot put (40’3”) at the league championships this year as well.

Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore Savannah Drummonds (Palm Coast, Fla.) and junior Haylea Salamon (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CANADA) earned all-region accolades in the pole vault and discus, respectively. Drummonds, a two-time all-region selection (2016-17), holds the school record in the pole vault (10’6”) while Salamon earned all-region honors for the third straight year. Salamon set the program record in the discus (154’11) as a freshman in 2015.

Sophomore Paiton Fair (Newton, N.C.) made the All-Southeast Region Team in the 400-meter dash for the second straight spring as well for the Bears. Fair has the top time in the event in school history, clocking a 56.29 to finish second at this year’s SAC Championship.

Lenoir-Rhyne junior Sarai Hayes (Valdese, N.C.) was an all-region selection in the women’s 200-meter dash. Hayes has the best time in school history – 24.67 seconds – which was set at this year’s conference championships, good for second place.

The top five individuals in each event from each of the eight regions earned all-region distinction in addition to each of the members of the regions’ top-three relay teams. The regions used for this award – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West – match those used during the indoor track & field season.

LENOIR-RHYNE’S WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
2017 ALL-SOUTHEAST REGION HONOREES

Autumn Drayton - Shot Put, Discus
Savannah Drummonds - Pole Vault
Paiton Fair - 400-Meter Dash
Sarai Hayes – 200-Meter Dash
Domonique Jones - Discus, Hammer
Haylea Salamon - Discus

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Myles Braswell-Sample has been named to the 2017 NCAA Division II USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region Team for Outdoor Track and Field. USTFCCCA is the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Braswell-Sample, a senior from Durham, N.C., picked up the honor in the men’s shot put. Braswell-Sample finished first five times this past spring in the event and earned an NCAA Division II provisional mark at the North Carolina A&T State University Last Chance Meet this past Sunday, May 14, with a personal-best throw of 52’11”.

Braswell-Sample is a two-time South Atlantic Conference Champion in the men’s shot put (2016-17) and has also earned all-region outdoor track and field honors the past two years.

The top five individuals in each event from each region earned all-region distinction in addition to each of the members of the regions’ top-three relay teams. The regions used for this award – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West – match those used during the indoor track & field season.

The 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Thursday, May 25 through Saturday, May 27, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Jose Almonte hit a walk-off solo homer in the 10th inning, as the Hickory Crawdads defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 3-2 on Monday.

The Grasshoppers tied the game 2-2 in the top of the eighth when Justin Twine hit a two-run single.

Starters Jonathan Hernandez and Michael King turned in great performances for Hickory and Greensboro, respectively. Hernandez struck out six and walked two while allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings for the Crawdads. King struck out six while allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings.

C.D. Pelham (2-0) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief while Alejandro Mateo (1-3) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game.

Almonte homered and singled, scoring two runs in the win.

Hickory improves to 14-23 on the first half of the season.

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Sarah Kenley has been named the 2017 CCA NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Region Player Of The Year. CCA is the Conference Commissioner’s Association.

Kenley, a senior catcher from Charlotte, N.C., is joined on the all-region first team by senior first baseman Sydney Landreth (Disputanta, Va.) and sophomore outfielder Erin Boone (Creedmoor, N.C.) for the Bears.

Kenley finished second in the league in batting average (.429) to go along with a team-leading 12 home runs, 55 runs batted in, 137 total bases and a .753 slugging percentage. Kenley was named the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Player Of The Year last month.

Boone earned first-team all-region accolades for the second straight year by the CCA and led the SAC in numerous offensive categories including batting average (.440), runs (66), hits (88) and on-base percentage (.507). Boone also hit seven home runs with 49 runs batted in this spring.

Landreth, a three-time first-team all-conference pick (2015-17), finished the year with a .386 batting average in addition to four home runs, 54 runs batted in and a league-leading 23 doubles. Landreth and Boone both started all 59 games for the Bears in 2017.

All three players led Lenoir-Rhyne to a 46-13 record including a 16-4 mark in the South Atlantic Conference and a share of the league regular season crown. LR also earned a berth to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament.

The first-team selections will move on to the All-America ballot. The D2CCA All-America programs honor student-athletes in Division II athletic programs. The mission of the CCA is to encourage and promote Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education.

The voting, nomination and calculations are all conducted by the school’s sports information directors. The teams are voted on by the members of D2SIDA, NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors Association.

2017 CCA NCAA Division II

Softball All-Southeast Region Teams

FIRST TEAM

C - Sarah Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne

1B - Sydney Landreth, Lenoir-Rhyne

2B - Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman

3B - Jamie Johnson, UNC Pembroke

SS - Sydney Sprague, North Georgia

OF - Erin Boone, Lenoir-Rhyne

OF - Kelsey Vining, Montevallo

OF - Stephanie Hartness, North Georgia

DP - Haley Simonds, Newberry

UTIL - Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman

UTIL (non-P) - Tayler Barcomb, Coker

P - Kylee Smith, North Georgia

P - Josie Weber, Limestone

P - Ally Marcano, Flagler

SECOND TEAM

C - Cailah Niles, Anderson

1B - Hannah Reppert, Armstrong State

2B - Hannah Coursey, Georgia College (TIE)

2B - Natalie Willis, Newberry (TIE)

3B - Makenzie Pennell, Pfeiffer

SS - Whitney Woodard, Flagler

OF - Caroline Hill, Limestone

OF - Naomi Sapp, Wingate

OF - Jeanie Perrucci, Young Harris

DP - Alishia Frierson, North Georgia

UTIL - Jane Trzaska, Armstrong State

UTIL (non-P) - Alex Watkins, UNC Pembroke

P - Amanda Coffrin, North Greenville

P - Sydney Poole, Pfeiffer

P - Devon Morrison, Newberry

Pitcher of the Year: Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman

Player of the Year: Sarah Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series returned to action on Saturday night, after a week off, with 321 Lawnmower Sales & Service Night at the Races presented by Whelen.

Leading off the night would be the 4-Cylinders with points leader Curtis Pardue in the #17 setting fast time and leading the field to the green flag. Pardue would lead early until a caution for a full field invert. After the caution the #51 of Nathaniel Kanupp would move to the front, holding off the charging Pardue and taking the checkered flag in his first race in several years at the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars. Pardue would end up in 2nd, Robbie Trivette in the #11 would move up into 3rd, and Brian Mundy in the #6 would finish 4th.

The Allison Legacy Series would hit the track next for their 35 lap feature. Justin Taylor in the #03 would pace qualifying to start from the pole. Taylor would jump to the early lead and never look back, only slowed by several cautions that would bunch the field. Taylor would take the win in impressive fashion. The battle for 2nd and on back however, would rage on throughout the race. Kyle Campbell in the #15 would end up with the 2nd spot at the checkered flag and Ethan Elder in the #08 bouncing back from early problems to finish 3rd. Matthew Davey in the #10 and Brett Suggs in the #33 would round out the top 5.

The Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models would be the next division to thunder to life with their 35 lap feature. Points leader Monty Cox in the #21 would set fast time in qualifying and would start at the front with veteran Mack Little in the #16 to his outside. Cox would jump to the early lead with Mitch Walker in the #29 pressing Little for 2nd. Walker would get by and set his sights on the front runner Cox. Charlie Watson in the #9 would also make a bid on Little for a top 3 spot and eventually move by to put pressure on Walker as well. Cox would prove to be too strong on this night and drive on to the victory with Walker in 2nd and Watson finishing in 3rd. Little would hold off a hard charging Ross ‘BooBoo’ Dalton in the #50 for 4th while Dalton would round out the top 5.

Hitting the track next would be the Cosmo Motors Street Stocks. The #77 of Mark Whitten would grab the pole with fast time in qualifying. Whitten would run side by side with the #18 of Cody DeMarmels until DeMarmels would finally nose ahead. DeMarmels and Whitten would run nose to tail for the remainder of the race with Marshall Sutton in the #64 making it a 3 car breakaway for the lead. DeMarmels would bounce back from his bad luck 2 weeks ago and take the win with Whitten finishing 2nd and  Sutton in 3rd. Kevin Eby in the #03 and Trey Buff in the #69 would round out the top 5.

100 laps of racing action would be in store as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bojangles Late Models would roll off the grid. Points leader Ryan Millington in the #76 would grab the top spot in qualifying with Stefan Parsons, son of NASCAR announcer Phil Parsons, in the #98 to his outside and Ty Gibbs, grandson of Joe Gibbs, in the #18 and Thomas Beane in the #31 making row #2. Millington would jump to the early lead and hold court until Charlie Watson in the #9 came charging by on lap 30. Watson would hold the lead until a caution at lap 60 would bunch the field. Several cautions later that would span laps 60 through 80 would set the scenario for another wild finish at America's Most Famous Short Track. On the next restart Millington would appear to spin the tires bunching up the field but the start would be called off and attempted again. This time Watson and Millington would start nose to nose and slug it out for the top spot for several laps. Another caution would fly a few laps later for a spinning car. On this restart Watson would lead the field slowly to the restart zone and when they took off Millington did not come up to speed and collected Andrew Garcia in the #12 taking him hard into the air and the wall. Millington's car looked used up as the tow truck got it to the pits, the Team Johnson Motorsports crew went to work and got him back on the track without losing a lap. With 12 laps to go Watson would face a tough challenge from Parsons but be able to hold him off after several laps of side by side racing. Millington, however would be a different story as he would come rolling by both drivers with only a couple of laps left to take the win in a near miraculous ending to what looked like a rough night for the youngster. Watson would hold on for 2nd and Parsons would grab 3rd. Matt Thomas in the #87 would come in 4th and Gibbs would round out the top 5 in 5th.

Ending the night would be the Catawba Realty & Insurance Classic Sportsmen. Bill Lett in the #4 would grab the the pole  by setting fast time in qualifying. Lett would jump out to the early lead but Bill Webb in the #16 and Chris Werner in the #22 wouldn't let him pull away without a fight. Eddie Gilbert in the #95 would start from the rear and make a thrilling run to the front, getting by Webb and Werner to take a shot at the leader Lett. Lett would prove too strong and take the win with Gilbert finishing 2nd. Bill Webb, Chris Werner, and Dennis Werner in the #19 would round out the top 5.

Hickory Motor Speedway will take a rare night off next Saturday, May 20th, but will return in 2 weeks, on May 27th, with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series back in action on Woodforest Bank Night at the Races. Twin 40 lap races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bojangles Late Models, 50 laps and Round #5 of the Paramount Kia 'Big 10' Challenge for the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models, 35 laps for the One Design Super Trucks, 30 laps for the Cosmo Motors Street Stocks, and 25 laps for the Catawba Realty & Insurance Classic Sportsmen are on tap for the evening.

For more info check us out at www.hickorymotorspeedway.com. Facebook, and Twitter.

Hickory Motor Speedway
Race Results for 5/13/2017

4-Cylinders - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 51 Nathaniel Kanupp Hildebran, NC
2 17 Curtis Pardue Hickory, NC
3 11 Robert Trivette Newton, NC
4 6M Brian Mundy

4-Cylinders - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 17 Curtis Pardue Hickory, NC
2 51 Nathaniel Kanupp Hildebran, NC
3 6M Brian Mundy
4 11 Robert Trivette Newton, NC

Allison Legacy - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 3 Justin Taylor Great Falls, SC
2 15 Kyle Campbell Concord, NC
3 8 Ethan Elder Raleigh, NC
4 10 Matthew Davey Mooresville, NC
5 33 Brett Suggs Mooresville, NC
6 44 Seth Henry Stanfield, NC
7 53 Tim Niesen Kannapolis, NC
8 14 Ashley Pantoulas Davidson, NC
9 35 Jake Garcia Monroe, NC
10 11 Kayla Lyons Rock Hill, SC

Allison Legacy - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 3 Justin Taylor Great Falls, SC
2 8 Ethan Elder Raleigh, NC
3 33 Brett Suggs Mooresville, NC
4 44 Seth Henry Stanfield, NC
5 53 Tim Niesen Kannapolis, NC
6 15 Kyle Campbell Concord, NC
7 10 Matthew Davey Mooresville, NC
8 11 Kayla Lyons Rock Hill, SC
9 35 Jake Garcia Monroe, NC
10 14 Ashley Pantoulas Davidson, NC

Classic Sportsman Racing - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 4L Bill Lett Statesville, NC
2 95G Eddie Gilbert Newton, NC
3 16 Bill Webb Statesville, NC
4 22 Chris Werner Moorseville, NC
5 19 Dennis Werner
6 6W Robert Webb Harmony, NC
7 90 Dennis Hinkle Hickory, NC
8 71P Bill Powell Newton, NC

Classic Sportsman Racing - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 4L Bill Lett Statesville, NC
2 95G Eddie Gilbert Newton, NC
3 16 Bill Webb Statesville, NC
4 22 Chris Werner Moorseville, NC
5 19 Dennis Werner
6 6W Robert Webb Harmony, NC
7 71P Bill Powell Newton, NC
8 90 Dennis Hinkle Hickory, NC DNS

Late Model - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 76 Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
2 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
3 98S Stefan Parsons Cornelius, NC
4 87T Matt Thomas Miami, Fl
5 18G Ty Gibbs Charlotte, NC
6 51P Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
7 3O Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
8 29M Mitch Walker Newton, NC
9 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
10 31 Thomas Beane Hudson, NC
11 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
12 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC DNS
13 41T Dennis Trivette Newton, NC DNS

Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 76 Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
2 18G Ty Gibbs Charlotte, NC
3 31 Thomas Beane Hudson, NC
4 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
5 87T Matt Thomas Miami, Fl
6 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
7 98S Stefan Parsons Cornelius, NC DQ
8 51P Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
9 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
10 29M Mitch Walker Newton, NC
11 41T Dennis Trivette Newton, NC
12 3O Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
13 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC

Limited Late Model - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
2 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
3 9 Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
4 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
5 50R Ross Dalton Greensboro, NC
6 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
7 18R Alex Reece Granite Falls, NC
8 34 Pat Rachels China Grove, NC
9 95H Jacob Heafner Dallas, NC
10 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
11 7 Holden German York, NC
12 41 Dennis Trivette Newton, NC
13 85 Bobby Griffin Stokesdale, NC

Limited Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
2 16L Mack Little, III Winston-Salem, NC
3 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
4 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
5 18R Alex Reece Granite Falls, NC
6 50R Ross Dalton Greensboro, NC
7 9 Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
8 95H Jacob Heafner Dallas, NC
9 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
10 34 Pat Rachels China Grove, NC
11 7 Holden German York, NC
12 85 Bobby Griffin Stokesdale, NC
13 41 Dennis Trivette Newton, NC

Street Stocks - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
2 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
3 3 Kevin Eby Lenior, NC
4 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC
5 2J Ethan Johnson Hudson, NC
6 31C Jesse Clark Marshall, NC
7 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC DQ

Street Stocks - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown DQ/DNS/DNF
1 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
2 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC
3 3 Kevin Eby Lenior, NC
4 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
5 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC
6 31C Jesse Clark Marshall, NC
7 2J Ethan Johnson Hudson, NC

Facing elimination in the Region 10 Southeast District tournament the Red Hawks pulled off a 6-5 win over #6 Wake Tech. The win marked Head Coach, Paul Rozzelle's 100th win as a head coach, all at Catawba Valley.

Paul Rozzelle took over the helm of the Red Hawks after a former Head Coach, Frank Pait resigning in the middle of the 2015 season. In his first season Rozzelle guided the Red Hawks to a 39-19 season finishing 3rd in the NJCAA World Series after claiming the Region X and Southeast District titles. In his first season Rozzelle was named Southeast District Coach of the Year.

In his last 3 season Rozzelle has gone 100-68 and has posted a winning season in conference every year. Rozzelle has also coached numerous All-Region X players including 2 Region X Player of the Year award winners, Ty Andrus and Chandler Jenkins; and Region X Defensive Player of the Year, Riley Smith. Rozzelle also has coached two All-Americans, Danny Sullivan and Ty Andrus, two Rawlings Gold Glove winner, Mykel Davis & Ty Andrus, and a Marucci Elite Hitter winner, Danny Sullivan.

Rozzelle has also seen over 30 players sign or continue their playing career at universities and has seen the team GPA increase to program bests over the last 3 years.

Jarett Rindfleisch hit a run-scoring double in the second inning, leading the Greensboro Grasshoppers to an 8-2 win over the Hickory Crawdads on Sunday.

The double by Rindfleisch, part of a two-run inning, gave the Grasshoppers a 1-0 lead before Corey Bird hit an RBI single later in the inning.

The Grasshoppers later added three runs in the fourth, one in the sixth, and two in the eighth to secure the victory.

Greensboro southpaw Braxton Garrett (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on just two hits over five innings. Opposing starter Tyler Phillips (1-2) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game after a rough outing in which he allowed five runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Greensboro improved to 5-1 against Hickory this season.

The Crawdads drop to 13-23 on the season. Hickory will host Greensboro again on Monday and Tuesday.

Elliot Graves (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham Early College) snatched the 400-meter hurdles crown as Appalachian State University men’s track and field finished ninth with 44 team points at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Maverick Stadium in Arlington, Texas. UTA won the team title with 151 points, in second place was Texas State (116 points) and third place went to Louisiana and Arkansas State (98 points).

App State participated in six finals on the track and three field events on Sunday. Graves highlighted the championship finale grabbing the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles shaving .19 seconds off his former personal best to run the fourth-best time in school history of 51.29. Ryan Hastings (Matthews, N.C./Porter Ridge) narrowly missed first place finishing in second by .02 second with a time of 1:48.74.

For the long distances races, Evan Georges (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) landed in tenth in the 1,500-meter race and Chris Anderson (Greensboro, N.C./Westchester Country Day (UNC-Charlotte)) cruised through the line in 15:37.71 for 11th in the 5,000m.

In the relays, the 4x100-meter quartet ran a season’s best of 40.45 for the bronze medal, and the 4x400-meter team clocked a season’s best time of 3:13.15 for fourth.

In the field events, Michael Utecht (Apex, N.C./Apex) vaulted a personal best of 15-11.75 (4.87m), the tenth best jump in outdoor school history, to place eighth. In the discus throw, Peter Kenn (Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth) tossed the plate-like implement 142-11 (43.57m) for 11th place. Lastly, in the high jump, four Mountaineers competed in the event and collected three points with Cole Finch (Matthews, N.C./Weddington) in seventh and Jordan Dale (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) and Nick Hinton (New Lenox, Ill./ Lincoln-Way West (Carthage))tying for eighth all clearing 6-06.25 (1.99m).

Up next, those who qualify will compete at the 2017 NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, Ky. May 25-27.

5/14 SBC Outdoor Championships Results: Day Three

400H (finals): 1. Elliott Graves, 51.29 4th all-time & pr
800m (finals): 2. Ryan Hastings, 1:48.74
1500m: 10. Evan Georges, 3:56.94; Jacob Sears, DNS
5,000m: 11. Chris Anderson, 15:37.71
4x100 R: 3. Marcano Jr., Buckley, Ja. Johnson, Graves, 40.45
4x400 R: 4. Hanna, Ja. Johnson, Smith, Hastings, 3:13.15 sb
High Jump: 7. Cole Finch, 6-06.25 (1.99m); T-8. Jordan Dale, & Nick Hinton, 6-06.25 (1.99m); 15. Daniel Lauffenburger, 6-02.25 (1.89m)
Pole Vault: 8. Michael Utecht, 15-11.75 (4.87m) 10th all-time & pr; 9. Phillip Thomas, 15-05.75 (4.72m) ; T-10. Jackson Widener, 15-0 (4.57m) ; Tristian Shaver, NH
Discus: 11. Peter Kenn,142-11 (43.57m) ; Ellsworth Parham, FOUL

Final Team Results
1) UT-Arlington - 151 points
2) Texas State - 116 points
3) UL-Lafayette - 98 points
3) Arkansas State - 98 points
5) South Alabama - 90 points
6) Coastal Carolina - 80 points
7) Troy - 63 points
8) Arkansas-Little Rock - 55 points
9) Appalachian State - 44 points
10) UL-Monroe - 23 points

Online: http://www.appstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=21500&ATCLID=211595497

WTRK Finishes 4th at the SBC Championships

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Tristin Van Ord (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) snatched her third-consecutive 5,000-meter championship and Darlene Girardeau (Hope Mills, N.C./South View (NCCU)) medaled in two events on Sunday as Appalachian State University women’s track and field finished in fourth with 94 team points at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Arlington, Texas. Texas State was crowned team champion with 154.50 points and rounding out the top three was Arkansas State in second (118 points) and UTA in third (103 points).

The Mountaineers competed in eight finals on the track and one field event on Saturday for 54 team points. In the short sprints, Girardeau and LaBria King (Charlotte, N.C./East Mecklenburg) had a phenomenal day turning in four all-time top-ten performances. In the 100 meters, Girardeau fired out of the blocks and clocked a personal best of 11.52, the third-fastest time in school history, for the bronze, and King blazed to seventh place with a lifetime best of 11.83, the eighth fastest time in school history. In the 200-meter dash, Girardeau ran another personal best of 23.53, the third-fastest time at App State, for the silver medal, and King finished in sixth with the eighth-fastest time by a Mountaineers of 24.18 (pr).

Rounding out the last individual short-sprint final was Imani Chapman (Raleigh, N.C./Sanderson) in the 100-meter hurdles who cleared all barriers in 14.17 for eighth place.

In the relays, the 4x100-meter team successfully passed the baton around the track in 45.99 for the silver medal, and the mile relay produced a season’s best effort of 3:56.58 for 12th place.

For the long-distance finals, Van Ord snatched her third-straight 5,000-meter championship with a time of 16:55.29 and eclipsed her former championship record by five seconds. In the 1,500m, Torre Moser (Cary, N.C./Apex) clocked a time of 4:41.68 for fourth and two spots later, Kathryn Farina (Crozet, Va./West Albemarle (HPU)) crossed the line in sixth with a time of 4:43.80. In the 800m, Phylissa Greeley (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) hustled to sixth place in 2:15.09.

Lastly, in the field events, Chelsey Hargrave (McLeansville, N.C./Williams) bounded to fourth place with a mark of 41-07 (12.67m), and K’Lynn Beal (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton) soared 38-07.75 (11.47m) to finish 13th in the triple jump.

Up next, those who qualify will compete at the 2017 NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, Ky. May 25-27.

5/14 SBC Outdoor Championships Results: Day Three

100m (finals): 3. Darlene Girardeau,11.52 3rd all-time & pr ; 7. LaBria King, 11.83 9th all-time & pr
100H (finals): 8. Imani Chapman, 14.17
200m (prelim): 2. Darlene Girardeau, 23.53 3rd all-time & pr; 6. LaBria King, 24.18 9th all-time & pr
800m (finals): 6. Phylissa Greeley, 2:15.09
1500m: 4. Torre Moser, 4:41.68; 6. Katie Farina, 4:43.80; 11. Elisa Sargent, 4:50.80; 16. Hana Ratcliffe,4:58.58; Molly Pusateri, DNF
5000m: 1. Tristin Van Ord, 16:55.29C; 16. Kate Bulter, 19:13.84; 20. Emily Fedders, 19:29.45; 23. Kerry Leonard, 19:43.37; 25. Natalie Kile, 19:51.29; Katie Farina DNF
4x100 R: 2. Girardeau, Hargrave, King, Crawford, 45.99
4x400 R: 12. Crawford, Brekke, Chapman, & Greeley, 3:56.58 sb
Triple Jump: 4. Chelsey Hargrave,41-07 (12.67m); 13. K’Lynn Beal, 38-07.75 (11.47m)

Final Team Results
1) Texas State - 154.50 points
2) Arkansas State - 118 points
3) UT-Arlington - 103 points
4) Appalachian State - 94 points
5) South Alabama - 93.50 points
6) Coastal Carolina - 71 points
7) Georgia State - 65 points
8) Troy - 44 points
9) Arkansas-Little Rock - 26 points
10) UL-Monroe - 23 points
11) UL-Lafayette - 21 points

12) Georgia Southern - 6 points

Despite six runs on seven hits, Appalachian State University baseball dropped an 11-6 decision on Sunday in the series finale against South Alabama on Sunday afternoon at Smith Stadium.

The Mountaineers (19-32, 8-19 Sun Belt) were led by home runs from Matt Vernon (Advance, N.C./Davie County (Florence-Darlington Tech)) and Conner Leonard (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reagan) while the Jaguars (34-18, 20-7) finished with 12 hits on the day.

Vernon finished with a 3-for-4 day, having two RBI in the process, while Jason Curtis (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) had another strong day from the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs – extending his reached base streak to an impressive 16.

On the other side, Chandler Seagle (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) had a day protecting the bases, catching two would-be base stealers in the game.

All seniors academically pitched on the mound for Appalachian on Sunday. Dallas DeVrieze (Moline, Ill./Moline) got his first start of the season, going 3.2 innings and striking out three before Matt Brill (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) went the next three, getting four strikeouts and allowing just two hits.

Sean Mason (Austin, Texas/McNeil) and Matt Schaeffer (Port St. Lucie, Fla./John Carroll Catholic (Tallahassee C.C.)) finished off the final 2.1 innings, striking out three between them and allowing just two hits total.

Appalachian actually took a 1-0 lead in the first, after Curtis and Vernon hit back-to-back singles and a passed ball moved them to second and third. Tyler Stroup (Thomasville, N.C./East Davidson) then walked to give Drake Zupcic (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) the chance to get a sacrifice fly.

The Jaguars then went up 2-1 before the Black and Gold were able to once again score off a sacrifice fly, this time by Brian Bauk (Salisbury, N.C./Salisbury).

A five-spot in the fourth by South Alabama made things more difficult but the Mountaineers didn’t give up as Vernon and Leonard hit their two-RBI home runs to give them six runs.

Appalachian State will conclude its regular season next week, first with a midweek game in Shelby, N.C. against No. 16 Wake Forest at Keeter Stadium (6 p.m. start). Then, App will conclude its Sun Belt schedule with a three-game series against the defending World Series Champions, Coastal Carolina, that begins Thursday at 2 p.m.

Aaron Knapp was a triple short of the cycle, driving home five runs as the Greensboro Grasshoppers defeated the Hickory Crawdads 14-2 on Saturday.

Corey Bird singled four times with three RBIs and a pair of runs for Greensboro.

Greensboro had a pair of big innings in the blowout victory, scoring four runs in the second inning and six in the third.

In the second, Bird hit a two-run single, while Knapp hit a three-run home run in the third.

Greensboro starter Dylan Lee (2-3) picked up the win after scattering seven hits over seven scoreless innings. Opposing starter Demarcus Evans (1-4) took the loss in the South Atlantic League game after giving up three runs over 1 1/3 innings.

Yeyson Yrizarri doubled and singled three times for the Crawdads. Yanio Perez doubled and singled twice.

With the win, Greensboro improved to 4-1 against Hickory this season.

2A
Forbush: 1
Draughn: 0
Wildcats season ends at 14-9.

Franklin: 4
Bunker Hill: 1
Bears season ends at 18-9.

3A
Fred T. Foard: 5
Forbush: 2
Tigers advance to the third round going to Marvin Ridge on Tuesday.

4A
South Caldwell: 8
East Forsyth: 7
Spartans advance to the third round going to Southeast Guilford on Tuesday.

TC Roberson: 7
Alexander Central: 1
Cougars season ends at 19-10.

2A
Draughn: 4
Forbush: 3
Wildcats advance to the third round hosting South Stokes on Tuesday.

R-S Central: 8
Maiden: 0
Blue Devils season ends at 13-8.

3A
West Iredell: 6
Fred T. Foard: 4
Tigers season ends at 15-8.

4A
Alexander Central: 5
Southeast Guilford: 3
Cougars advance to the third round hosting Southwest Guilford on Tuesday.

South Caldwell: 4
Hopewell: 0
Spartans advance to the third round going to North Davidson on Tuesday.

2A
Newton-Conover: 1
West Davidson: 0
Red Devils advance to the third round hosting Forbush on Wednesday.

3A
Hickory Ridge: 3
Hickory: 2
Red Tornadoes season ends at 19-4.

Appalachian State University baseball’s comeback attempt in Game One fell just shy to start of the doubleheader against South Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Smith Stadium.

On a day that saw 43 runs and 67 hits between two games, it featured wild contests from the Mountaineers (19-31, 8-18 Sun Belt) and Jaguars (33-18, 19-7 Sun Belt).

GAME ONE: South Alabama 8, App State 6

Calev Grubbs (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) and Matt Vernon (Advance, N.C./Davie County (Florence-Darlington Tech)) helped lead a rally attempt as Appalachian fought back from a five-run deficit to tie up the game in the seventh.

Grubbs finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while Vernon went 3-for-5 with one RBI. Tyler Stroup (Thomasville, N.C./East Davidson) and Jason Curtis (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) both finished 2-for-5 with doubles, while Stroup had two RBI and Curtis had one.

Brian Bauk (Salisbury, N.C./Salisbury) also finished with two hits while Avery Jackson (Ether, N.C./East Montgomery) hit the fifth RBI of the game.

Entering the seventh down 5-0, the Mountaineers went on a five-run rally in the inning to climb back into the game. After Bauk walked to start things off, Matt Brill (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) singled to right field to move him to third. Then, Jackson shot one through the left side to bring home Bauk and move Brill to second. Grubbs followed that with a single of his own, allowing Brill to cross the plate.

Curtis then reached on a fielder’s choice RBI that brought home Jackson before Vernon fired a bullet through the right side to plate Grubbs. The tying run would come on a Stroup double to left center that allowed Curtis to score.

South Alabama would be able to extend its lead in the eighth by scoring three runs, but Appalachian would score one in the ninth off a Curtis double and Stroup infield single.

The Mountaineers used five pitchers in the game with Colin Schmid (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) on the hill for the first six innings. Schmid struck out five batters while allowing five runs. Tristan Helms (Aberdeen, N.C./Pinecrest) and Matt Schaeffer (Port St. Lucie, Fla./John Carroll Catholic (Tallahassee C.C.)) went the next inning, allowing just a hit and a run between them.

Reed Howell (Goldsboro, N.C./Rosewood) and Bobby Hampton (Pikeville, N.C./C.B. Aycock) finished out the final two innings, striking out one.

GAME TWO: South Alabama 24, App State 5

The Mountaineers were unable to overcome three-straight four-plus innings in Game Two of the series, culminating with a 10-spot in the top of the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Matt Vernon was once again impressive at the plate, going 3-for-5 in Game Two and launching his sixth home run of the season. Conner Leonard (Winston-Salem, N.C./Reagan) led the way with RBI, having three on a 2-for-4 day. Tyler Stroup got another double and RBI for the day, finishing 2-for-5. Brian Bauk also finished with a double.

Tristan Helms had an impressive day in relief, going 4.1 innings and allowing just six hits and three runs while striking out six batters – one shy of his career high.

A first-pitch Bauk double in the second starting things for Appalachian. Leonard then knocked him around off a single up the middle. Then in the sixth, a 1-0 hitter's count triple by Vernon and Stroup screamer through the left side put another run on the board.

App State scored two in the eighth, started by a Drake Zupcic (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) single to right center field. Avery Jackson then got a base hit to center field before capitalizing on a fielding error to advance everyone a base. Leonard then cleared the bases with a rocket down the left field line.

In the ninth inning, Vernon pulled a 1-1 pitch hard to get the home run and the final run of the game.

The Tampa Men’s Lacrosse Team (15-4), ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II, advanced to the round of four after holding off seventh-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (12-3), 11-8, Saturday afternoon in an NCAA Division II National Quarterfinal game at Moretz Stadium.

The Spartans’ Andrew Kew (Oakville, Ontario, CANADA) led all scorers with four goals to add to his national-leading and record-breaking 85 scores on the season as Tampa advanced to the national semifinals for the second straight year to play top-ranked Limestone (19-1) next Sunday, May 21, in Gaffney, S.C.

The Saints defeated Wingate in their opening round playoff game today by a 14-5 score at home.

Lenoir-Rhyne, the second-seeded team in the South Region, received two goals each from junior midfielder Ben Corrigan (Alpharetta, Ga.) and junior long stick middle Collin Lett (Greensboro, N.C.) despite the loss. The Bears were making their first-ever trip to the playoffs in school history.

Tampa, winners of five straight games, ran off five consecutive goals to take a 7-3 lead just under two minutes into the second period and kept the advantage the rest of the way.

Lenoir-Rhyne got to within one goal on two occasions – 8-7 and 9-8 – in the fourth period but the Spartans scored twice to finish off the victory. Jake Mosher McGraw (Saint John, New Brunswick, CANADA) added two goals and two assists in the win for the Spartans.

Lenoir-Rhyne lost despite holding a 39-30 edge in shots taken while junior Ryan Crompton (Frederick, Md.) took the loss in goal despite making 11 saves. For Tampa, goalkeeper A.J. Arnold (Southborough, Mass.) made seven saves to earn the win.