There was no standing ovation and East Rowan left-hander Julian Sides didn’t punch the sky after punching out the final Concord hitter in the Mustangs’ 10-0, five-inning 3A South Piedmont Conference romp. Sides simply shrugged and headed for Webb Field’s third-base dugout, looking as excited as if he’d just ripped open a Christmas package and pulled out an ugly necktie.

And Sides’ catcher, Drew Davis, obviously needs to check out the Classic Sports channel for proper catchers’ etiquette after calling a no-hit game. Davis not only didn’t hoist Sides in his arms (see Yogi Berra and Don Larsen, ‘56 World Series), he didn’t even wait on Sides to reach the plate. By the time, Sides crossed the third-base line, Davis was already shedding his cumbersome gear and searching for the team bus.

Third baseman Brian Hatley did run in and clap Sides across the shoulders and whispered something in his ear. Maybe something like, “Hey, guy, you just pitched a no-hitter.” Whatever Hatley said, Sides (4-0) finally smiled. Well, just a little.

“No big deal,” said Sides. “I wasn’t very excited, because it wasn’t like it was a full game or anything.”

But it’s still an official no-hitter (the fourth in the county this season), Sides was informed. The only Spider baserunner was Andy Boyd, who walked on a close pitch in the first.

“Yeah, but my curveball wasn’t very good,” Sides said. “I was short-arming everything. I’ve been a lot better than I was today.”

Informed that his troops didn’t seem bent out of shape in the least by the no-no, East coach Jeff Safrit shrugged, too, doing a pretty fair imitation of his pitcher.

“Sides was good, but not as sharp as he’s been. He threw a bunch of 56-foot curveballs. As far as not getting excited, that’s just the way this team is,” smiled Safrit. “That’s the way this team’s been all year.”

Not that the Mustangs aren’t having a good time. It’s just that they’re, well, business-like. When you’re 17-2 overall and 12-2 in the SPC and outright league champions, you expect to win. And no disrespect to Concord (0-15, 2-17), East, ranked fifth in the state in 3A, expected to win Tuesday when it walked on the field, just as it expects to win every game it plays.

The scary thing about this team is that Sides who is just a sophomore, wasn’t putting on an act when he accorded his gem that nonchalant day-at-the-office shrug. Sides expects to do well and has pitched brilliantly in four of five starts. He’d pitched a one-hitter, three-hitter and four-hitter prior to Tuesday. In his five starts, he’s averaged one walk.

Sides stayed low key because he’s pitched in state championship games since he was 10. It wasn’t earth-shaking for Davis because he’s always been the guy on the receiving end of Sides’ pitches. He’s seen what Sides can do. So has Cal Hayes Jr., who’s always been Sides’ shortstop, Hoovering those ground balls. So has Nick Lefko, who’s always been in the outfield to run down that occasional ball that gets hit hard. Lefko, in fact, grabbed a fourth-inning line drive off Sides that was Concord’s only serious bid for a hit.

The point is, East has some young guys who aren’t ordinary sophomores. Yeah, age-wise they’re sophs. But maturity-wise they’re college guys. They refuse to act their age, and that’s why Safrit has a chance to make a real run in the upcoming state playoffs, even with a lot of his up-the-middle people still using learner’s permits.

Davis singled in Hayes in the first inning and Hatley doubled in Adam Cornelius in the third to stake Sides to a 2-0 lead.

East broke the game open in the fourth with six runs. The rally was ignited by the bottom of Safrit’s all right-handed lineup as some new faces produced against Concord lefty Colt Newsome.

“I went right-handed, because none of our lefties have proven they can hit lefties,” said Safrit.

The hit that got East going was a sharp single to left off the bat of surprise designated hitter Brent Lambert, better known as a wide receiver. Lambert singled in Jeremy Teague, then raced home himself after a bloop by Lefko and Justin Miller’s RBI grounder.

“Lambert’s hit was the one that got us going,” said Safrit. “Brent hit the ball great in practice yesterday, so we gave him a chance. We’ve been giving kids opportunities all year. Idon’t like to beg, but we’ve been begging for hitters. This was our 19th game and this was our 19th different lineup.”

Cornelius, who scored three runs out of the leadoff spot, kept things rolling with a walk. Then came three viciously hit balls in succession , by Hayes (triple), Davis (double) and Hatley (single). Suddenly, it was 8-0.

Lefko’s double keyed a two-run fifth that put Sides in position to end the game early via the 10-run mercy rule.

“I told the guys to get some runs and I’d try to get us out of here quick as I could,” said Sides.

That he did — earning the thanks, if not the applause, of the huddled clumps of fans who had braved the chilly, damp conditions to watch him weave his magic.