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GRANITE FALLS — Kannapolis’ comeback kids didn’t wait until the ninth inning here Friday to rally for an AmericanLegion baseball victory.
Coach Joe Hubbard’s club, which won several Area III playoff games with great ninth-inning comebacks, scored four times in the eighth to take a 7-6 victory over Wayne County in the first round of the state tournament.
“Everybody was looking for it in the ninth inning. We got it over in the eighth this time,” said center fielder Ryan Craft, whose bases-loaded double in the eighth drove in two runs and put Kannapolis ahead to stay.
“Our team’s always on top of things, and we’re always looking for a big hit,” said Craft. “It seems like every time I come up to the plate, I need to do something. At least I get a hit when it counts.” He also had a bunt single and went 2-for-4.
Hubbard said of the comeback, “The whole playoffs long and everything that we’ve done, it seems that we get a big hit when we’ve needed it. Tonight was no different. Ryan steps up in that situation and drills a double down the line, and then John Goodman with two outs doubles again, and we score four big runs.”
Chad Tuttle got the rally started with a one-out infield hit, then winning pitcher Bobby Helms singled to right. Dusty Carmichael walked to load the bases for Craft. One out later, Goodman’s double to left plated both Carmichael and Craft.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play,” said Goodman, whose two insurance runs proved crucial. “I didn’t put it in play the other at-bats (two strikeouts and a walk). I just wanted to get contact.”
The victory earned Kannapolis (23-17) a winners bracket contest against host team Caldwell County (32-8) at 4 p.m. today at M.S. Deal Stadium. Caldwell edged Wilmington 3-2 yesterday.
Kannapolis went into Friday’s game with a mediocre record compared to Wayne County’s 32-6, but Hubbard’s scrappy team beat the opponents from Goldsboro in every phase of the game.
“We came out expecting to win,” said hustling third baseman Nate Amerson, who had three defensive gems in the final two innings. “We heard a lot about this team. They had a big record. We’ve probably got the worst record in the tournament. We just came out and had to make the plays and do the big things. The defense was strong.”
Amerson bounced off a chain link fence, cutting his arm, while making a great catch of a foul ball in the eighth. He stayed in the game to make two perfect throws to first baseman Tuttle for outs.
“I was hurt, not injured,” said Amerson with a grin.
“Nate’s a tough kid. Nate will go through a wall for you, and he did today. He went into the fence and snagged it,” said Hubbard.
The Area III runner-up team had 11 hits to nine for Wayne’s Area I champions. Kannapolis had no errors, while Wayne committed three miscues. Kannapolis had the edge in double plays, 3-2.
Helms (7-4) and reliever Adam Russell did their job on the mound. Helms got off to a slow start when he allowed three hits and two runs in the opening inning, but he scattered four hits and allowed two runs the rest of the way. Russell, ahead 7-4 when he took the mound in the eighth, allowed a two-run homer by husky Steve Parrish in that inning, then retired the final four batters for the save.
“Bobby did a great job,” said Hubbard. “Bobby’s been the guy we’ve gone to this year. He came out in the heat (90 degrees) and gave us seven strong, quality innings. He really wanted to go back in the eighth. It was just one of those things we felt like it was best for him to stay out of the game. Adam came in and did a good job for us.”
Helms said, “It was very hot out here today.It took a lot of energy out of me to be out here in this hot weather and everything. I got tired. I had to give it up while the going was good.
“This is great,” he added. “It’s been a long time since Kannapolis has been up here. It’s great. We love it.”
Kannapolis has won four state titles, the last one in 1961.
Tuttle (3-for-5), Helms (2-for-4) and Craft were Kannapolis’ players with multiple hits, but the team’s first hit of the night was one of the biggest. With Wayne leading 2-0 and Carmichael on second after an error, Steve Swann belted his first Legion homer over the left-field fence, about 330 feet away.
“I hate it had to be my only one (hit),” said Swann, whose homer served notice that Kannapolis wasn’t awed by Wayne’s record. “I don’t know if he (starter Travis Vann) meant to throw it inside, but I just got a good pitch to hit and did something with it. I was lucky, I guess.
“We can hit the ball better. We’ve got a chance to go a long way in this tournament.”
“We’re just having fun,” exclaimed Hubbard. “We’ve told the kids from the very beginning, ‘Let’s go out and let’s have fun. We’re in the state tournament. This is the time of your life. Hey, let’s enjoy it.’”
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NOTES: Parrish, Wayne’s left-handed clean-up hitter and right fielder, swung a big bat. He was 3-for-4 with his towering two-run homer to center in the eighth plus a double and single. He drove in four runs. ... Kannapolis’ three double plays came in consecutive innings, the fifth through seventh. ... Kannapolis went ahead for the first time at 3-2 in the third on Amerson’s single, Zack Gurley’s infield grounder and two wild pitches by Vann. ... Wayne plays Hickory(22-22) at 1 p.m. today in the losers bracket. Hickory fell to North Raleigh 3-1 Friday morning.
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