Salisbury junior Boo Blount pitched a four-hit complete game in just his second start as Salisbury downed South Rowan 3-1 on Wednesday in a nonconference baseball game at Newman Park. Blount’s teammates played flawless defense behind him and manufactured the decisive runs by executing nicely on a bunt-and-run and a double steal in the fifth inning.

It was a complete about-face for Salisbury (7-3), which hadn’t left the park feeling a whole lot like a baseball team after a brutal 12-2 pounding from North Rowan on Tuesday.

“Yesterday we were in a complete funk,” said Sexton. “But baseball’s a funny game. Against South we found a rhythm we were comfortable with. We got back to having fun and played a great ballgame. Boo had a magnificent effort and we did some really good stuff.”

Blount started shakily but wound up fanning nine. He struck out the side in the ninth to end the game with a flourish.

“Yeah, I liked that,” said Blount. “This was a big win for us because we know South is a real good team. Hey, they beat North.”

South (5-8) had indeed beaten North and has also topped West Rowan this season. The Raiders aren’t bad and ordinarily can hit a little. After all, they had scored 10 runs on Tuesday.

But Blount had their number.

“We took the pitches we should have hit and swung at the ones we shouldn’t have,” said South coach Dwayne Fink. “You have to give Blount credit.”

Fink was more than a little disappointed. Not that the Raiders expected an easy win in the renewal of a county rivalry, but they certainly expected to generate more offense.

“We needed this game in the worst way,” said Fink, whose team had set its sights on reaching the break-even mark by the end of the week. “Maybe we wanted it too much. Maybe that’s why we were pressing the plate. We sure didn’t look relaxed.”

South’s first batter of the game, Derrick Efird, singled and scored on Ronnie Shore’s hit, but after that the Raider offense called it a night.

Blount escaped the second inning with the help of a good defensive play from first baseman Barry Medinger, who nabbed Philip Corriher’s hot shot. Blount then stranded two Raiders in the third. After that, he tiptoed right through the South lineup.

“The last few innings I really had my stuff,” said Blount.

The Hornets evened the game in the third when Boo’s brother, Michael Blount, singled in Cole Grams.

The Hornets then broke the tie in the fifth against Raider starter Jared Wingler when Daniel Wallace walked and came all the way around when Grams’ bunt in front of the mound was thrown down the right-field line. Michael Blount and Grams then pulled off a double steal for an insurance run.

As it turned out, though, the Hornets didn’t need additional insurance. They were already in good hands with Boo.

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