LANDIS — His cousin was missing from the lineup while on a cruise, but Tripp Lockhart had quite a trip, too, here Friday night.

The Lexington-Davidson standout belted three homers and drove in eight runs as the visitors pounded South Rowan 22-12 in a non-league American Legion baseball game.

The first baseman from Central Davidson High School took advantage of the short left field fence at South Rowan High with a solo homer in the second inning, a grand slam in the seventh and a three-run shot in the ninth. He added an eighth-inning double to right for a 4-for-6 night.

“I was just trying to hit it hard tonight. I got me some fastballs to hit and I swung through it and hit it good,” said the Lexington first baseman-pitcher.

It was a non-league game for Lexington (15-10), but Lockhart took it pretty seriously.

“I always try to hit it hard and do whatever I can. I don’t want to lose my stroke,” he said after increasing his homer total to seven.

Lockhart and his cousin, shortstop Nick Lockhart, starred for Central Davidson’s 3A state quarterfinalists during the spring after transferring from Trinity. Nick, the 3A state co-player of the year, will be back in Lexington’s lineup for the Area 3 playoffs when he returns from his cruise.

South (6-15) played well early, taking a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lexington tied it in the fifth, went ahead 6-5 in the sixth, then broke it open with 11 runs in the seventh, when 16 men came to the plate.

“The good thing is we got out and got to swing the bats tonight. That’s probably the biggest positive I can get out of the whole game. We had 14 hits,” said coach Allen Wilson of South, which will be back in action at home at 7:15 p.m. today in a makeup game against last-place Statesville.

Daniel Pinyan led South’s hitting attack by going 3-for-6 with a double, but Jared Barnette had the most productive night for the home team. He went 2-for-4 with his second home run of the season and four runs batted in.

South, trailing 17-5 going into the last of the seventh inning, could have given up and lost by the 10-run lead rule, but didn’t. Barnette hammered a two-run homer, then Derick Efird cut the deficit to nine runs with an infield single that scored Brian Yon from third. South was down to a possible final out when Yon walked and pinch-hitter Mike Hill followed with an infield single. Yon moved up on a wild pitch before Efird’s hit.

Efird, Yon, Hill and Ryan Schenk each had two hits for South.

“One of the parts I like the most about the team is, they don’t quit. Two nights ago against Rowan, they could have folded up the tent the first inning when they gave up six. We were in the game until the end. Tonight it could have ended in seven and it didn’t. I like that about them,” said South coach Allen Wilson.

Lexington had defeated South 11-0 in seven innings on Tuesday at Lexington’s Holt-Moffitt Field.

“We didn’t scratch at all. We didn’t hit it at all, and they hit it very well. They’ve got a good-hitting team,” said Wilson.

As for Tripp Lockhart’s game, Wilson said, “He’s impressive. He swings the bat. He doesn’t get fooled a lot — a great player,” said Wilson.

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NOTES: Right-hander John Brooks will pitch against Statesville tonight. ... South needs a victory over Statesville and another over Watauga County at home Sunday to finish the regular season with an 8-12 record. The team will begin play in the best-of-three first round of the Area 3 playoffs on Wednesday. ...Chase Younts and Jeff Mabe each had three hits for Lexington, which has finished its league season with a 12-8 record. ... Friday’s game included 31 hits, 12 errors, 19 walks, seven wild pitches and one hit baseman. It lasted three hours and 38 minutes.