North Lincoln took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Evan Matile smacked a three-run homer to give East Lincoln the lead. Then in their half of the fifth inning, the Mustangs got another three-run shot by Trey Spees. Matile hit a double to score another run and make it 7-2 going into the sixth. In the top of that inning, the Knights scored three more runs to cut the lead to 7-5. East didn't score in the sixth so it remained 7-5 going into the seventh. North needed two runs to tie the game, three to take the lead; they scored three and left East Lincoln trailing 8-7 in need of a last inning comeback. But the Mustangs didn't score and North claimed the Western Piedmont Conference regular season title. The Mustangs finished second. Both teams will play home games in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday. Winners will play for the tournament championship on Friday. St. Stephens beat Fred T. Foard on Monday 8-3, leaving the Tigers and Indians tied for third in the league. Only the top four teams in the conference will play in the tournament.

While North didn't have any home runs, Josh Fox and Reece Moody each had a triple.  Logan Simmons and Matt Heavner each had a double.  Simmons drove in two of the Knights' runs.  Moody also had two rbi's.  

The Catawba Valley Conference started its conference tournament Monday. The tournament will move to Henkel Alley Field adjacent to the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds on Wednesday. At Lincolnton Monday, the Wolves and Newton-Conover both scored a run in the second inning. The Red Devils scored five more runs and the Wolves four to make it 6-5 going into the fifth inning, then Newton-Conover added two more in the sixth and another in the top of the seventh to claim a 9-5 win.

Maiden downed West Lincoln 19-5 and will play Bandys in round two on Wednesday at 7 PM. The Trojans beat West Caldwell 15-0. Newton-Conover will play Bunker Hill, who beat East Burke, in a 5 PM game Wednesday.

In softball, the East Lincoln girls continued to dominate the Western Foothills Conference. The undefeated Mustangs beat North Lincoln Monday 13-0 for their 19th win of the season. Leah Correll was masterful as usual, allowing just three hits while striking out five our five innings.  Taliyah Thomas had another home run to add to her league-leading total.  

East will play Foard in the conference tournament Wednesday at 6:30. St. Stephens beat Foard Monday 7-4.

In the Catawba Valley Conference tournament, West Lincoln beat Newton-Conover 15-0.  Addisyn Robinson, Bailey Huss, Amelia May and Kayla Wehunt all batted 2 for 2; Huss and Robinson batted in three runs each.  The game ended after West took a 15-0 lead in the fourth inning. Lincolnton lost to Maiden 9-3. West will play West Caldwell at 7 PM Tuesday. Bandys beat Bunker Hill 15-5 and will play Maiden at 5 PM Tuesday.