Kannapolis’ fantastic finish stuns Mocksville in Legion play

BY MIKE LONDON
FOR THE SALISBURY POST

Ninth-seeded Kannapolis has put together some truly remarkable Area III playoff victories in recent days to eliminate both No. 8 Lexington and top-seeded Eastern Randolph. But Monday night’s series opener in its best-of-five semifinal feud with No. 4 Mocksville (22-8) zoomed several warp factors past merely amazing.

You could fit Kannapolis’ five-run ninth-inning rally on the road —which featured a grand slam by Ryan Craft —right between the tales of Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This was no more believable.

For Kannapolis coach Joe Hubbard, the night felt just right. But for Mocksville, this was a grim fairy tale indeed. Mando Field turned into a haunted house with just three outs to go.

“What can you say and what can you do,” uttered Mocksville coach Mike Lovelace, whose team dominated the first eight frames. “ Kannapolis stole one. It hurts. It’s tough and it’s hard to handle. But you also have to say they earned it.”

“I don’t really know what to say,” shrugged Kannapolis coach Joe Hubbard, who was, if anything, even more stunned than Lovelace by the late reversal of fortune.

But then Hubbard got his second wind, even on a night when the flag in center field hung limp and the muggy air was ghostly still. “Ah, just say we did the same thing we’ve been doing all along,” he said with a smile. “Say we played hard and we battled.”

Fair enough.

The battle started early for Kannapolis starter Bobby Helms. Mocksville loaded the bases in the first, put two on in the second, had two on in the third and got a runner to third base in the fourth. Helms left all eight baserunners hung out to dry.

“We dodged a bunch of bullets,” said Hubbard.

“We had the chances,” lamented Lovelace. “We failed to take advantage.”

Mocksville did score two in the fifth. The icebreaker was a towering homer by Drew Ridenhour, who is 9-for-12 against Kannapolis.

Hubbard did not send Helms, who had already thrown 112 pitches, out for the sixth. Instead, he turned to sidearming Adam “Eggs” Russell.

Kevin Shuping greeted Russell rudely, turning his very first pitch sunny side up for a homer and a 3-0 lead. Kannapolis then kicked a couple, setting the table for a Ridenhour sac fly and Steve LeFaivre’s RBI single. Now, it was 5-0.

Kannapolis (19-11) got a run back in the eighth on Craft’s sac fly, but its comeback chances still seemed as remote as Gilligan’s Island. It had the feel, despite the score, of a one-sided game, because Mocksville lefty Skipp Crider (8-2) was on cruise control. He’d already thrown a three-hitter against Kannapolis during the regular season and breezed into the ninth working on a second one.

“Skipp was baffling us,” admitted Hubbard.

Zach Gurley’s routine grounder to short started the ninth. Andrew Daywalt couldn’t pick it up. Then Crider hit Chad Tuttle in the foot with a 1-2 pitch. Then Crider, who had walked just two all night, lost tenacious little pinch-hitter Matt Harris and Dusty Carmichael back to back. The walk to Carmichael forced in a run. A nervous Lovelace visited the mound between walks, but had faith in his tiring ace with a three-run lead, even with the bases full.

The next batter was Craft. Craft is an unusual athlete in that he is a far different player — a much better player — when the pressure is on. The same pitch that strikes him out in the third inning, will not get past him in the ninth. Last night, he turned it up a few notches when he had to— just as he’s done throughout the playoffs.

“The guys were all telling me they were going to get walks and then I was going to hit a grand slam,” laughed Craft. “I told ‘em they were just talking.”

It looked like idle chatter when Crider jumped ahead of Craft 0-2 and needed just one more good curve to get him out. But Craft fouled off a couple. Then he took a couple that were outside.

And then he hit Crider’s 2-2 pitch outside the ballpark. He hit it a country mile. Deep into the night. No doubt about it. It was only Kannapolis’ fourth hit, but suddenly it led 6-5.

“ I went up there swinging for the fence,” said Craft, “and I got a pitch that looked fat.”

But Kannapolis’ lead was just one thin run. Figuring that Mocksville had gotten a pretty good look at Russell, Hubbard switched pitchers again. He went with Nick Cadolino, a kid not even listed in the Kannapolis program.

But maybe they’ll print a new edition. Cadolino deserves it. He fanned LeFaivre after a long duel for the first out. Then Daywalt, anxious to atone for his error, drove one deep. Centerfielder Chris Florence, pressed against the wall like he was part of a leaf collection, caught it. Cadolino needed no help for the third out, buzzing one by Mocksville’s top RBI man Matt Dellacona.

“I addressed to my players that Kannapolis can play before this game started,” said Lovelace. “You don’t make it to the final four if you can’t (play). Maybe now, our guys realize what they’re up against. We’ve got to score when we have the opportunities.”

Mocksville won’t have to wait long for revenge. The teams clash in Game 2 tonight at Veterans Field.

“We’ll find out what we’re made of,” said Lovelace. “We haven’t been down in the playoffs.”

Who knows how this one comes out? Mocksville, which has tons of talent, may win 10-0. Then again, another K-Town miracle may lie in store, even though a search of Hubbard’s uniform reportedly failed to turn up any magic wands — or even rabbit’s feet.

“I’ll tell you what it is,” said Craft. “It’s just that lately we won’t give up. Guys keep coming through. I’m proud of my teammates.”

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NOTES: Probable starters tonight are Cody Wright for Mocksville and Justin Bonds for Kannapolis. ... Mocksville’s usual shortstop Willie Infante has an injured hand. He played second last night, with Daywalt moving over to short.