6C • THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010
SALISBURY POST
SPORTS
SALISBURY FROM 1C
RONNIE GALLAGHER/SALISBURY POST
As Carson’s Tyler Crossen looks on, Salisbury’s Roy Dixon lines up a putt during the Rowan County Championships at Irish Creek..
GALLAGHER
Irish Creek course, where colleges and professionals have FROM 1C had trouble shooting “We’ve all grown up together,” 69s and 73s. Dixon said. “We play a lot together Dixon said the in the summer. We play the same Hornets enjoy the tournaments.” competition among Salisbury is so themselves. BEAVER good that in previ“There’s some ous events this seateams you get on son, when scores that you don’t want to play and you are being thrown don’t want to go to practice,” he out, the Hornets said. “But three of the six have the have discarded 37s same swing coach. It’s a good and 38s. Snyder said group.” Dixon and NiBefore graduation splits them NIANOURIS anouris have stroke up, these kids could make up one of averages for nine the best golf teams in county histoholes of 36.9. ry. They played 18 holes at the tough To get to dynasty status, they’ll
need some state tiof the season,” he tles, of course. And said. “Now, my fothat is not a farcus is on the regionfetched goal. als. We were second “I joke with Dale last year. that he should con“We want to get tend for state chamthe regionals out of pionships for two or the way and domithree years, Vinson nate. We want to LEE RUSHER said. “He should make a statement compete, if not actugoing into the states ally win them.” and get the state championship.” Winning the Rowan County tourListening to Dixon, you realize nament in such easy fashion is a that Salisbury has the third imporgood start. tant ingredient that usually makes a “We’re looking for a carryover dynasty. the next couple of weeks to regionConfidence. als and hopefully, the states,” Sny• der said. Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704Dixon is pumped and ready. 797-4287 or rgallagher@salisbury“I’m looking forward to the rest post.com.
Hornets, Green Dragons still tied for first BY JAKE MILLER The Dispatch
TYRO — West Davidson and Salisbury entered Salisbury 1 Wednesday tied W. Davidson 1 atop the Central Carolina Conference standings. After 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, the teams stayed that way. The Green Dragons and the Hornets battled to a 1-1 stalemate at Glosson Stadium on Wednesday, but the Salisbury (11-2-2 overall, 4-0-1 CCC) players and fans were immensely disappointed not to have walked away with a victory after holding West (11-3-1, 4-0-1) to two shots after halftime while peppering the hosts’ goal with chance after chance. “It’s absolutely disappointing,” Salisbury coach Matt Parrish said. “Any time you have opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to win a match and you don’t prevail, it starts to get in your head a little bit.” Angena LeBarre put West Davidson ahead in the 18th minute with a breakaway goal, but Madison Kennedy equalized off a corner kick in the 32nd minute. The Hornets piled forward in search of the winner, but
West’s defense didn’t break. “We’re determined. That’s our thing,” Dragons coach Chris Brown said. “We come into the game expecting to win, and to get out here with a tie, I’m not happy, but I’m happy with it a little bit because they dominated the game. They’re phenomenal. They’re good.” Salisbury forced two saves out of West Davidson goalkeeper Lauren Raby within the first five minutes and seemed to control possession, but the Dragons took a shock lead when a weak Salisbury clearance was headed forward by Mo Yarboro into LeBarre’s path. The sophomore raced forward and held off a challenge from behind before finishing low past Salisbury’s Olivia Rankin. Rankin was up to the task eight minutes later, stoning Ashlyn Owens on a clear breakaway. The Hornets finally put one on the board with eight minutes to go in the first half when a corner kick rebounded to Kennedy, who one-timed a low shot into the goal’s right side. “Their goal was a nice finish, but we lost the marking there,” Brown said. Like West Davidson, Salisbury is strong off throw-ins and corner kicks — and had plenty of both in the sec-
ond half — but Brown said it wasn’t quite like playing against his own team. “In all honesty, no, I think they’re better,” Brown said. “They’re good. Their set plays, they can put the ball exactly where they want it every single time. On the throw-ins, corners, whatever it is. They run sets and they got kids that can get in and finish them. We’re lucky enough to win a lot a balls in the air and clean some stuff up in the box.” As Salisbury piled on the pressure in the second half, the central midfielder Kennedy was the driving force in keeping the Dragons on their heels. Forward Katherine Heidt forced two good saves out of Raby, and with two minutes left in regulation, Raby made a diving stop to her left on Karen Presnell. “We’ve got a lot of experience back there. Five seniors, four defenders and the keeper,” Brown said of Raby, Krysta Sink, Abby Cox, Stephanie Williams and Amber Payne. “Even though we played a lot of defense, I was happy not to see us crack.” Parrish, meanwhile, was trying to find the words for why his team couldn’t break through for the winner. “It just seemed like we were lack-
ing some cohesion up top,” Parrish said. “Our forwards seemed to be working against one an- KENNEDY other instead of with one another. “Madison Kennedy played a heck of a match. She was all up and down the field.” Salisbury sustained the pressure into extra time, but the Hornets’ best chances came from two Kennedy outside shots that missed the mark. In the second period, West Davidson’s Elena Ramirez had a free kick from 18 yards that Rankin comfortably saved. After the game, Parrish told his team to remember the feeling of disappointment. The coach didn’t mince words about looking forward to a rematch. “We know that this is our conference to lose,” Parrish said. “They took it from us last season and rightfully so. They are the defending champions for a reason. We know that we’ve got as much talent as anybody else in this conference. And we know to have them on the ropes, on their field, their pitch, and not win is disheartening to say the least.”
Concord 7, Salisbury 4 CONCORD ab Pack lf 4 Todd 2b 2 Brenk ss 4 Smith c 3 RBurris p 3 Gdmn 3b 2 Jnkns rf 3 TBrris 1b 3 Bdsfd cf 2
Totals
SALISBURY ab Knox p 4 Frbis dh 4 Fuller c 0 Wolfe 3b 3 Vndpl 1b 3 Tnsth rf 2 Swain lf 3 Bauk cf 1 Veal c 3 Cmchl ss 3 Stckdl pr 0 Crsler 2b 0 26 7 5 6 Totals 26 r 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
h 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
bi 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
r 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4
h 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 6
bi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Concord 000 200 5 — 7 Salisbury 000 121 0 — 4 E — Tonseth, RBurris 2, TBurris, Goodman, Pack. DP — Concord 1. LOB — Concord 4, Salisbury 10. 2B — Wolfe. HR — Pack, Smith. SB — Todd, RBurris. CS — Bauk. IP H R ER BB K Concord RBurris 3 3 1 1 5 0 Goodman W 4 3 3 0 3 3 Salisbury Knox 31⁄3 1 2 1 2 3 McKthn L, 0-1 3 3 3 3 3 0 2 Veal ⁄3 1 2 2 1 0 RBurris faced 2 batters in the 4th. WP — Knox, McKeithan 2, RBurris 2, Goodman. PB — Smith 2, Veal.
Cashman brings ring to Nady
West wins again
Associated Press
Staff report
Six different scorers found the net as W. Rowan 6 W e s t Carson 0 Rowan defeated Carson 6-0 on Wednesday in North Piedmont Conference soccer. Scoring for the Falcons were senior Nicole Lucente, Allison Baucom, Brittany Gibbons, Toni Lucente, Janna Coleman, and Allison Parker. Earning assists were Gibbons (2), Nicole Lucente (2), Parker, and Baucom. “I was glad to see how well we spread the scoring around today,” said West coach Nick Brown. “Everyone who played played hard. We have some big games coming up, and it is good to see us coming together as a team.” West (12-1-2, 8-1) stayed in second place behind Statesville. West Rowan’s Allison Parker, right, races the ball upfield against Carson.
runner off. Matt Bodsford scrambled back, safe by an inch, and the game continued. Salisbury fans were still high-fiving over Wolfe’s play when they heard a sickening crack. Smith hammered a 1-2 pitch from Veal out of the park for a grand slam, and a 43 lead became a 7-4 deficit. “Just look- WOLFE ing to fight it off or put it in play with two strikes on me,” Smith said. “But I put a good swing on it.” Veal just missed his spot. “Clint missed over the plate with an up-and-in pitch,” Maddox said. “Their guy hit a mistake, but give him credit. He could just as easily have swung through it.” Veal singled in Salisbury’s first run. The Hornets’ other three runs scored on errors — two when Pack couldn’t hang on to Ian Swaim’s flyball near the left-field line and one on an errant pickoff throw with Knox dancing off first base and runners on the corners. “We had it, so it’s a tough one to lose,” Salisbury’s Philip Tonseth said. “Game of inches. Kyle almost had that guy at third, and Je- TONSETH remy (Forbis) looked safe to me at home when they called him out (trying to score on Tonseth’s thirdinning single).” Salisbury FORBIS had two baserunners in the bottom of the seventh, but the Spiders held on. “We pride ourselves on pitching and defense and we made mistakes tonight,” Concord coach Derek Shoe said. “But we pulled it out, and I’ll never apologize for a win.”
RONNIE GALLAGHER/SALISBURY POST
NEW YORK — Talk about an unexpected guest — and what a treat, too! Cubs outfielder Xavier Nady received his 2009 World Series ring on Wednesday when New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman delivered the prize to Citi Field before Chicago faced the New York Mets. “It was funny. I didn’t know when I was going to get it so I was surprised,” Nady said. “It was pretty special.” Nady praised Cashman for bringing it over himself and said the ring was “gorgeous.” Nady played in only seven games last season. He went on the disabled list in April with an injured right elbow that eventually required ligament replacement surgery. He signed a $3.3 million, one-year contract with the Cubs in January.