Staff report
LANDIS – Rowan County American Legion players exited through the crowd after Wednesday night’s game, thanking family members, girlfriends and fans.
This was the last home regular-season home game of a very unorthodox season, with Rowan playing its home schedule at South Rowan High, while Phase 2 renovations continue at Newman Park.
“Rowan County” has basically been a West Rowan/Carson effort this summer, with the assistance of one South Rowan Raider, one Mooresville Blue Devil and one North Hills Eagle. Still, the team has won 21 straight games under head coach Seth Graham, a lot of them easy, but several of them amazing. The record is 23-0 after beating Kannapolis 11-1 on Wednesday. The record in the Southern Division of Area 3 is 15-0. The team is scheduled to wrap up regular-season play on the road on Thursday. It will be a challenging finale at second-place Union County, a team that had Rowan on the ropes just a few days ago.
The playoffs will follow shortly after the Independence Day holiday. Rowan plans to open a best-of-three series at home on Monday, July 6, and it looks like the opponent will be an old friend – Mocksville.
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In Wednesday’s game, Catawba recruit Kendal Sifford was in charge on the mound all the way, pitched all six innings and held Kannapolis to a single run. He’s the first Rowan pitcher to win four this summer. He hasn’t lost yet.
Rowan needed a staunch effort from Sifford, who struck out four, walked one and scattered six hits, because Kannapolis starter Braden Greene was limiting the Rowan offense. It was a 3-1 game after five innings. While the final score looks like a romp. Rowan put up eight runs in the sixth against the Kannapolis bullpen to end it early.
Cole Blevins continued a phenomenal summer, which has not been a shock since he also had a phenomenal summer in 2025. The UNC Wilmington recruit has overwhelmed pitchers. He’s 36-for-73. That’s .493. With one less out, he’s batting .500. He walloped his 16th and 17th doubles. He’s pretty big and he can throw 90 from right field and run like the wind. He probably won’t be drafted, but there’s at least some chance that he will be.
Carter Durant smacked a three-run homer to highlight the explosion in sixth inning. He drove in four runs. The Catawba-bound masher tied Blevins for the team RBI lead with 28. He leads Rowan with five homers.
Drew Pegram, the lone Raider on the team, has had a very solid season playing on his home field. He had two doubles and bumped his RBI total to 22.
Rowan took a 2-0 lead early on a sac fly by Cameron Williamson and a run-scoring single by Luke Ponczka. Ponczka showed no ill effects from being struck by pitches three times on Tuesday.
Maddox Langley had two hits for Kannapolis (12-9, 9-6). Jace Abraham had the RBI.
Kannapolis wraps the regular season against Mocksville on Thursday.
Kannapolis 000 010 – 1
Rowan Co. 011 018 -11
W – Sifford (4-0). L – B. Greene.
HR – Durant (5).
