Two weeks ago, Post 185/146 was considered a 98-pound weakling in a league crowded with Charles Atlases. Not any more.

South picked up two significant victories this week — including Friday night’s 13-3 rout of visiting Stanly County — and has muscled its way back onto the beach.

“We’ve just come out and played our best. That’s the perfect way to earn respect,” pitcher Jared Barnette said after South (4-5) inched closer to a first-round playoff bye. “I’m sure some people are starting to notice us.”

They should. South set off a few alarms with Wednesday’s upset win over Rowan County and Thursday’s better-than-expected showing at league-leading Concord. Braid those together with yesterday’s wipeout — a mismatch that was over in seven innings — and you understand why South believes it’s about to shed the Rodney Dangerfield label.

“All we want is respect,” said first-year coach Allen Wilson. “It used to be if you were playing South, you didn’t have anything to worry about. That’s what’s changing. Now when you come in here, you know you’re facing a team that’s ready to play.”

They were ready against Stanly (4-4), a squad that mercy-ruled them in the May 17th season-opener. South played efficiently, collecting four extra base hits among its eight-pack and leaving only two runners on base.

“Basically, the whole team is coming around at the same time,” infielder Ronnie Shore said after scoring three times. “We hit the ball, we got good pitching and we didn’t make any errors. You can tell we’re bonding as a team. I feel like we’re gonna keep heading uphill from here.”

South used a comical, nine-run third inning to scale this one. It sent 13 batters to the plate against Stanly pitchers Stephen Vaughn and Derek Barringer, who watched the visitors commit four of their six errors.

“Our defense has been very solid all year,” said losing coach David Lee. “That was very uncharacteristic. But we didn’t stay focused and it cost us the ballgame.”

Barnette and Brian Yon delivered run-scoring hits in the decisive rally, but teammate Drew Callicutt stole the spotlight. First he ripped a two-run double that snapped a 2-2 tie and tore the webbing of right-fielder Derrick Williams’ glove. Later he capped the marathon inning with a two-run triple off the base of the fence in deep right-center.

“It’s this bat,” he explained, pointing to the 33/28 Z-Core he borrowed from assistant coach Michael Lowman. “He told me I could use it any time.”

Callicutt used it again in the last of the sixth, when he lined a two-run, opposite-field home run to left. “I must be seeing the ball better,” he said, just 24 hours after blasting a 400-foot shot into the center-field bleachers at Concord. “I know I’m feeling a whole lot better. But everyone hit tonight. We just wanted to get the game over with and go home.”

Their wish was granted after Barnette wriggled out of a seventh-inning jam. Protecting a 10-run lead, he surrendered one-out singles to Stanly’s Zach Chrane and Chad Elium. He escaped harm by inducing Chad Yow to bounce into a game-ending 6-4-3 double-play.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Barnette said after scattering eight singles and a double. “But it’s a win and that’s what counts.”

It was a message-sending win that placed South back on the postseason radar screen. “They all better start paying attention to us,” said Callicutt, “because we’re coming.”