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Cal Hayes Jr. was a big hit in Rowan County’s 10-0 AmericanLegion baseball victory over Statesville at NewmanPark Wednesday night.
Hayes, Rowan’s leadoff batter, didn’t get to swing at many pitches, but still reached base five straight times and scored three runs. He was hit by pitches three times by Statesville hurler TimHancock.
“I’ll do anything to get on base; it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll just take that as a walk,” said the Rowan shortstop.
Hayes wasn’t hurt by any of the pitches that him, because they were all changeups or slow breaking pitches.
“I think his changeup might have slipped. They were all changeups (on inside pitches). I don’t really think he was trying to do it. I think they were setting up inside,” Hayes added.
The Rowan standout said the team, 10-5 overall, was warned by coachJim DeHart not to take Statesville, 0-15 in the league, lightly.
“Coach DeHart said we shouldn’t take them lightly. I think we took South (Rowan) kind of light,” Hayes pointed out, referring to Rowan’s 11-4 loss at home on May 31.
“He talked to us about how good we played yesterday (6-1 victory over Concord on Tuesday) and to come out with the same intensity,” said Hayes.
Hayes led off the eighth inning with a walk and raced around to third on Hancock’s wild pickoff throw. After Hancock hit Brett Peiffer with a pitch, Brian Hatley delivered his second sacrifice fly of the night to give Rowan its 10th run and end the contest under the 10-run-lead rule.
DeHart knew Statesville wasn’t throwing at Hayes.
“They were just coming inside on him, trying to pitch him inside. The last time we played them (Rowan’s 15-2 romp on May 24), he really hurt them because they didn’t get it off the plate far enough,” said the Rowan coach. “They weren’t trying to hit him. He knew they weren’t throwing at him.”
Hancock, in addition to hitting four batters, threw two wild pitches.
Rowan starter Spencer Steedley and reliever Brandon Doby each hit one batter, too. Left-hander Steedley and right-hander Doby combined for a four-hit shutout.
The 14-year-old Steedley not only improved his record to 4-0, but lowered his earned run average to 1.03 for 26 1/3 innings. He went only 5 1/3 innings last night because of a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand, yielding four hits and four walks while striking out three batters.
“It was hurting him when he threw the breaking pitch, so we got him out,” said DeHart.
Doby pitched hitless ball over the final 2 2/3 innings, walking one batter and fanning four.
“Doby’s a good relief pitcher for us.He’s going to be better,” said the coach. “We needed that one excellent arm in the bullpen.”
Rowan’s 11-hit attack was led by Brad Canipe’s 2-for-3 effort and Peiffer’s 2-for-4. Peiffer, Hatley and Nick Lefko each drove in three runs.
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NOTES: Concord, idle last night, leads the league race at 11-3 with Rowan a half-game back at 9-2. ... Rowan hosts Stanly County at 7:15 p.m. today with Hatley on the mound. Nathan Woodburn is scheduled to pitch Friday’s home game with Mocksville-Davie, then left-hander Julian Sides will work at Concord in a battle of the top two teams in the standings on Saturday. Ace southpaw Daniel Moore will pitch at Mooresville on Sunday. ... Hayes, Hatley and Canipe each stole a base as Rowan upped its season total to 55. ... Erik Mowery’s run-scoring double in the fourth was Rowan’s only extra-base hit. ... Eric Barnes had two hits, including a double, for Statesville.
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