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CONCORD — There was no question as to whom the pitching star was here last night: It was Thomas Wilson of Concord.
However, there’s a big pitching question tonight in Game 4 of the American Legion baseball Area III semifinal playoff series. Who will pitch for Rowan County and Concord?
Rowan, a 7-0 loser to the left-handed Wilson at Webb Field here last night, holds a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five series and will have the homefield advantage at Newman Park at 7:15 p.m. today.
Rowan, which had an eight-game winning streak snapped, is 24-10 for the season. Concord improved to 23-8.
Coach Jim DeHart likes his team’s position in the crucial series that will determine a berth in the state tourney, but he’s not sure who will be on the mound as his team goes for the clincher.
“We’ve got several choices we can go with,” said DeHart. “We’re not real sure who we’re going to go with now. We’re leaning toward (Spencer) Steedley. It’s his turn in the rotation, he or (Brandon) Doby one. Of course, we have (Nate) Woodburn that’s ready. Woody throws hard and has got a good breaking pitch. One of the three will probably start.”
Left-hander Steedley, who pitched one inning of relief last night, has a 5-1 record, but went from June 18 until last night without pitching. Right-hander Doby (1-1) hasn’t started since June 19, but has seen some relief duty. Second baseman Woodburn (0-2), a right-hander, has started twice, the last time on June 9.
Most of Rowan’s pitching in the playoffs has been done by southpaw Daniel Moore, right-hander Brian Hatley and left-hander Julian Sides, the starters in a three-game sweep of Mooresville in the first round and another sweep of King in the second round. Moore and Hatley won Games 1 and 2, respectively, against Concord. Sides was the loser last night.
Concord coach Bryan Tyson, like DeHart, is wavering about tonight’s pitching choice.
“I’m not a hundred percent sure yet. It’s between Greg Tucker, (Brian) York and Joseph Hollopeter. It’s going to be one of those three,” said Tyson, who had to save Wilson (7-1), his ace, for Game 3 because the left-hander had pitched nine innings Saturday and 123 more innings in relief Sunday in two victories over Watauga County. Concord rallied from a two-games-to-one deficit to win that series.
“We felt like we had a good chance with him on the mound. We know Rowan’s got a good-hitting lineup, but we feel like he’s a top pitcher and we had our backs to the wall with the season on the line. He stepped it up for us and gave us a great effort,” said Tyson.
He doesn’t expect to start Wilson again, unless rain delays the series, but hopes to have him available in relief if there is a Game 5 on Saturday at Webb Field.
“If we’re fortunate enough to get to Game 5, we could use him two, a maximum of three innings,” he said.
Concord, after losing 9-4 and 7-4 in the first two games of the series, has to win three in a row to advance to the Area III finals against the Mocksville-Kannapolis winner.
“We feel like if we come out and play hard tomorrow and you never know what happens. Then you get to Game 5 and crazier things have happened. We’ll just play it one day at a time,” said Tyson.
DeHart had praise for Wilson, who hurled a seven-hitter with six walks and 15 strikeouts to beat Rowan for the second time this season.
“We saw tonight a good pitcher pitch a good shutout against us. I thought we had some chances, but we just couldn’t come through. He’s tough. He’s got everything going for him. I just hope he doesn’t throw his arm out. He’s got excellent mechanics,” said DeHart. “When he gets men on base, he gets tougher. That’s a sign of a good pitcher.”
Wilson, who lowered his earned run average to approximately 1.00 with the shutout, ended six innings with strikeouts, five times with at least one man on base.
Offensively, clean-up hitter Jamie Tucker got Concord off to an early lead when he belted a long homer over the left-field bleachers to lead off the second inning. Teammate Matt Baker added a two-run homer in the fifth, when Concord stretched its lead to 4-0.
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NOTES: Tucker, who drove in three runs, Baker, Robert Scott and Bryant Parnell each had two hits for the winners. Scott, who hit a home run in each of the first two games, had two doubles. ... Cal Hayes Jr. and Nick Lefko each had two hits for Rowan. Hayes’ double was the only extra-base hit for the losers. ... Lefko stole two bases for Rowan.
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