Staff report
SALISBURY — Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team was one out away from a series and one out away from another state tournament appearance.
But Rowan couldn’t get that elusive 21st out on Tuesday night at soggy Newman Park. High Point Post 87 rallied for four runs in the seventh to win 5-4
Rowan still leads the best-of-five series two games to one, but High Point has a lot of momentum now and will play at home at Finch Field on Wednesday. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. If a fifth game is needed on Thursday, it will be played at Newman Park.
Rowan’s undefeated starter Brant Graham got a lot of defensive help from third baseman Corbin Hales and left fielder Marshal Faw and couldn’t have pitched much better, but High Point plated an unearned run in the top of the first, and High Point hurler Nick Salas made that 1-0 lead stand up a long time.
Rowan left 12 on base and squandered countless opportunities to score.
Rowan had the bases loaded with one out in the first after two walks and a hit by Brice Knox, but Luke Ponczka rapped into an inning-ending double play.
Faw tried to score from second base on Carter Durant’s infield hit up the middle in the third, but was called out at home on a close play. Knox was thrown out at home when he tried to score on Corbin Hales’ infield chopper in the fourth.
Rowan finally broke through in the fifth and scored twice. Gaige Scruggs and Cole Blevins walked. Scruggs advanced to third on a long fly out by Faw, and Blevins stole second. Durant and Knox came through with run-scoring singles, and Rowan owned a 2-1 lead.
Rowan made it 4-1 against High Point’s bullpen in the sixth. Eli Graham was hit by a pitch and scored when Blevins ripped a triple. Faw’s two-out hit scored Blevins.
Rowan had a chance for insurance, but left the bases loaded.
Brant Graham had thrown 95 pitches through six innings, so head coach Seth Graham counted on the bullpen to finish it. Faw switched from left field to the mound to try to close it, as the rain picked up.
Faw (2-2) walked the first man he faced. A slow, wet roller to second was an infield hit, and a ground ball through the right side cut Rowan’s lead to 4-2 before Faw got a strikeout.
A base hit to left field made it 4-3 before Faw got a strikeout for the second out.
Owen Robinson drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a well-struck hit to left before Faw got another K for the third out.
Rowan still had a chance in the bottom of the seventh. as Hales and Scruggs walked to bring lead-off man Blevins to the plate with two outs. Blevins drilled the first pitch he saw, but it was foul down the right-field line. Then he hit a fly ball for the final out.
Alex Carver was the winning pitcher for High Point.
Rowan had eight hits, nine walks and one HBP, but just didn’t get enough hits in key situations.
