Staff report
CHERRYVILLE — Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team staged two major comebacks and still lost in the opening game of the double-elimination State Tournament being played at Fraley Field in Cherryville.
Asheville, which has only lost twice this season, is picked by a lot of people to win the event and was able to outscore Area III runner-up Rowan 12-11.
Area IV champ Asheville is the only program in a wide area and reportedly had to cut 32 players, a lot of them college players. to get down to the Legion limit. Five counties are represented on the Asheville roster.
Still, Rowan had every chance to win the game. It came down really to one kangaroo hop. You’re not supposed to get those trampoline balls on turf, but the turf in Cherryville is different than the turf at Newman Park. A certain double-play ball — the batter fell coming out of the box— hopped over the head of Rowan shortstop Eli Graham in the bottom of the sixth inning and became a single. That unfortunate bounce gave Asheville runners at the corners and set up the decisive run. Rowan second baseman Carter Durant was able to glove a one-out grounder later in the inning, but his only play was at first base, as Asheville scored the run that broke an 11-all tie. That run made a hard-luck loser of Brant Graham (5-1), Rowan’s fourth pitcher.
Rowan overcame an early 5-0 deficit to lead 6-5. Rowan rallied from an 11-6 deficit to get even at 11-all.
Rowan starter Connor Park was hit hard. pitching two innings and allowing five runs, including a homer.
Chase Fisher and Corbin Hales got Rowan through the third, fourth and fifth before Brant Graham pitched the sixth.
Down 5-0, Rowan put together a five-run third. Cameron Williamson’s single started the big inning. Durant had a two-run single in the inning, while Luke Ponczka had a run-scoring double.
Cole Blevins had a run-scoring double in the fourth, chasing home Eli Graham from first for a 6-5 lead.
Asheville responded with six runs in the bottom of the fourth to lead 11-6, but Rowan scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth to tie it.
Rowan had 14 hits in the loss. Blevins had three hits, while Marshal Faw, Gaige Scruggs, Durant and Ponczka had two each. Durant knocked in three, while Ponczka drove in two.
