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CONCORD — Rowan County and Concord seem headed for one heck of a showdown later this summer.
Behind Thomas Wilson’s 15-strikeout performance Friday night, Concord topped Rowan 8-2 at Webb Field to take a 21/2-game lead in the American Legion’s Area III standings.
Wilson’s dominating performance came four days after Daniel Moore struck out 12 Concord batters in an equally dazzling 6-1 Rowan County win at Newman Park. Assuming the top two teams in the area take care of business in the playoffs, a Moore-Wilson matchup looms in the Legion postseason.
“I figure before it’s all over, we’ll see Moore and Wilson go after each other,” said Concord head coach Bryan Tyson, whose team improved to 14-3 in league play.
Wilson, a rising senior at Central Cabarrus High School, gave up a pair of runs on seeing-eye singles in the first and third innings. From that point on, Rowan (10-4) settled for its three early hits as Wilson struck out nine batters in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
In Tuesday’s Rowan win, Concord’s lone run and final hits also came in the third inning as Moore also tossed a three-hitter. Moore walked four; Wilson walked three and hit a batter.
“Daniel’s a great pitcher and I learned some stuff from watching him,” Wilson said. “This was big for me. I wanted to pitch against Rowan County in school and I never got the chance. I knew when I got the chance, I wanted to make the most of it.”
Early on, Wilson found himself on the wrong end of a 2-0 game after RBI singles by Drew Davis and Nate Woodburn.
Rowan starter Julian Sides retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced without allowing a hit. Concord finally got rolling in the fourth inning when Matt Baker led off with a home run to the left-field bleachers. One out later, Jamie Tucker turned a hanging curve into a laser beam that landed in the bushes in left.
“Julian threw five innings and only gave up three hits, but two were home runs,” Rowan head coach Jim DeHart said. “He made two mistakes. Baker tomahawked a 1-2 fastball and Tucker, good gracious … . He’s a good kid and a great hitter.”
Once the offense caught up with Wilson, everything fell into place for Concord.
“Sides had us baffled a little bit to start with,” Tyson said. “When Baker and Tucker hit the home runs, that swung the momentum and got things going for us.”
Baker knocked home Brandon Queen with a single in the fifth inning to make it 3-2, then Concord put it away in the sixth.
Sides struck out Tucker to open the frame before Bryant Parnell lofted a fly ball down the right-field line that got lost in the lights for a double.
Brian York followed with a ground ball to third base that took a wild hop off the edge of the dirt and grass and bounded into left field. Queen’s single made it 4-2, York scored on a wild pitch and Todd Greene’s single plated Queen.
Philip Goodman entered the game in relief and retired the side after a sac fly and Baker single made it 8-2.
“They had one ball lost in the lights, a bad hop over third base and that started the downfall,” DeHart said. “Once a team gets hits like that, chances are you’re in trouble.”
Rowan, after collecting 11 hits and six runs off Tucker on Tuesday, couldn’t solve Wilson, who got stronger in the latter innings. He retired the side in order on Ks in the seventh, survived an error in the eighth and sent Rowan down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his second complete game.
“Wilson threw the ball well and when we hit it, it was right at somebody,” Rowan’s Brett Peiffer said. “He had more control as the game progressed and he threw all his breaking stuff for strikes. He kept us off balance.”
Much like Moore did to Concord.
“It was a lot different Tuesday. We were on the other end of it tonight,” Peiffer said. “Things just didn’t bounce our way.”
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NOTES: Hatley and Peiffer were the only Rowan starters Wilson didn’t fan. … Goodman allowed only three hits over the final three innings, walking one and striking out one. … Concord should be well-rested for the playoffs. Post 51 has just three regular-season games remaining. Rowan still has nine games to play over the next nine days. All but three of those count in the league standings. … Rowan visits Mooresville tonight at 7:15.
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