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KANNAPOLIS — This isn’t supposed to be happening — and yet it is. Kannapolis, the No. 9 seed in the Area III playoffs, pushed top-seeded Eastern Randolph to the brink of elimination on Wednesday night with a wild 8-7 victory at Veterans Field.
Kannapolis came from behind not once but twice last night — overcoming an early three-run deficit, then storming back from a run down in the bottom of the ninth to win on Ryan Craft’s one-out single.
“We know Eastern Randolph is a great team,” said Kannapolis coach Joe Hubbard, who was supposed to be sitting home watching TV with the wife and kid at least a week ago. “And we know if we go flat that they can come right back and beat us three in a row. Still, we like where we’re at. We’re in the best position we could possibly be.”
Where Hubbard is, is leading a best-of-five quarterfinal series over the defending Area III champs 2-0. That’s a circumstance which oddsmakers deemed about as likely as Lou Savarese knocking the stuffing out of Mike Tyson.
“Yeah, we heard we aren’t supposed to have a chance against these guys,” offered Chad “Wally” Tuttle, a chunky offensive lineman who’s suddenly swinging the bat like Mark McGwire. “But you know, that just makes it a lot more fun.”
No barrel of monkeys ever had more fun than Kannapolis has had the past two nights. Especially Tuttle, who’s had four doubles and seven RBIs.
Hubbard’s team went to Eastern Randolph on Tuesday and was supposed to be little more than cannon fodder. Instead, Bobby Helms blew 14 Eastern batters away and his teammates pounded out an easy 10-3 win.
“I think we jumped on them quick and surprised them in the first game,” said Hubbard. “Tonight, I don’t think we surprised them. I think the kids just went out and played hard and well.”
Hubbard hasn’t talked to his about how good Eastern Randolph is. He hasn’t told them how Eastern roared through Area III 17-3 this season or how a lot of its current players were on the team that knocked off Rowan County in last year’s Area III championship series. He hasn’t told his team that it’s supposed to be overmatched. All he’s said is “play as hard as you can and give yourselves a chance.”
And so far the Kannapolis players have done exactly that. They aren’t in awe. They aren’t scared. They look like they could care less who’s seeded where and who’s supposed to advance to face the Mocksville-Asheboro winner.
Even Hubbard is at a loss to explain the Mojo that’s working for his team right now. He admits he doesn’t have a prototype Legion powerhouse.
First baseman Tuttle is a pitcher with arm trouble. Shortstop Jonathan Goodman and centerfielder Chris Florence are kids who have yet to play on the high school varsity. Catcher Zach Gurley was a third baseman until this year. The rightfielder (Dusty Carmichael) and left fielder (Craft) are speed guys who are probably better in football than baseball.
Helms, the designated hitter last night, is the ace pitcher and Justin Bonds, last night’s pitcher, was struggling with elbow trouble not long ago. The second baseman (Steve Swann) and third basemen (Nate Amerson) are undersized kids who have never been on anyone’s all-this or all-that team. But like the rest of their over-achieving teammates, they believe they can beat you.
Hubbard Hysteria continued Wednesday. The key was Bonds, who pitched one of the great 15-hitters of all-time. He got crushed early, but never quit firing. It looked like he might not survive the third inning. Instead, he went all the way.
“He threw it well,” said Hubbard. “He hung in there and once we started making some plays in the field, he was OK.”
Eastern led quickly 2-0 on James Lowe’s homer, but RBI singles by Tuttle and Helms got Kannapolis even.
Kannapolis then went down 5-2, but came right back with a four-run third to lead 6-5. The keys were a two-run single by Helms and two dropped line drives.
But Eastern went ahead 7-6 in the sixth when Andrew Connor’s shot to right-center glanced off the glove of a racing Carmichael. At that point, it looked like Kannapolis’ luck had run out.
It looked that way for certain in the eighth when Swann was thrown out at the plate trying to score from third when a ball bounced to the screen.
It was still 7-6 going to the bottom of the ninth and Eastern coach Tim Murray had his dynamic pint-sized closer, Chris Covington — the same guy who gave Rowan fits last year— on the hill to finish Kannapolis off.
But Gurley smacked a 385-foot double. Then Tuttle zinged a two-bagger to the right-field wall to bring Gurley home, tying the game. Tyson Fink ran for Tuttle. Helms was intentionally walked, then Carmichael hit into a fielder’s choice to put men at first and third with one out.
The next batter was Craft, who stepped in 0-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice. Craft swung and missed Covington’s first pitch by two feet. But he didn’t miss the next one — sending a laser shot past third to score Fink and win the ballgame.
“Yeah, I was nervous up there,” said Craft. “But I knew I had to come through.”
“I guess squeeze was running through the back of our minds,” said Hubbard. “But we let Craft swing and he made it work out.”
Now, Kannapolis just needs to have things work out tonight in Ramseur to bring this series to an early and very shocking end.
“There’s no pressure on us at all,” said Craft. “We’re just gonna lay back and go play. We just need one more.”
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