Namely, that he won’t be gray-headed by the time his team’s second-round series with Mocksville is in the books.

“I don’t have any hair left,” shrugged a grinning Gantt. “I’m just watching ’em fall out one by one.”

Meanwhile, he’s watching his team pile up some amazing wins — one by one.

Rowan (26-2) followed up Monday’s crisp, efficient 3-2 win in the opener of this second-round series with an 8-7 Tuesday triumph that was anything but crisp and efficient.

Game 2 was, in Gantt’s words, a dogfight. It was a jagged, ragged, 14-walk, seven-error marathon that proved one thing — that Rowan can win games that are pretty or games that aren’t.

“Two games into this series, we feel very , very lucky,” said Gantt. “Mocksville’s shown they’re a great and competitive team. We could just as easily be down 2-0 right now.”

But Rowan apparently still has Mocksville’s number. It’s beaten the Rich Park residents 24 of the last 26 times they’ve played. And last night, the beat went on, even though Rowan spotted Mocksville a 5-0 lead in the first two innings.

Heroes? Jimbo Davis hit a homer that counted, while Spencer Steedley hit one that didn’t. Throw in pitchers Brandon Doby and Phillip Goodman, too. Doby refused to collapse after an ugly start, while Goodman got the last four pressure-packed outs with Mocksville fans on their feet clapping and Rowan fans holding their breath.

Mocksville pecked Doby to death in the first two innings. Andrew Daywalt’s perfect bunt triggered a two-run first. Brad Bullard’s sweet bunt set the table for a three-run third.

To that point, it was all Mocksville (16-12). Mike Lovelace’s team had bounced back remarkably from Monday’s trauma, stacking up quick runs against the dazed Doby with a series of bloops that elicited bleeps from Rowan fans.

And on the mound, Erik Walker, who was awesome enough to fan 10 — including Drew Davis thrice — looked to have no-hit stuff.

But everything swung against Walker and Mocksville on one controversial play at home in the top of the third.

Shawn Trosper was running at first with one out when Michael Gegorek bounced to shortstop Andrew Daywalt. Daywalt went for the force, but his throw handcuffed second baseman Ricky Bentley and headed for right field.

Then it was a track meet. Or at least sort of a track meet, because Trosper, not a quick runner, was on the basepaths. Trosper eased off the gas pedal and chugged into third. To his surprise, Gantt was frantically waving him plateward.

“I was stopping,” said Trosper. “Had no idea, he’d send me. I didn’t even take a turn.”

“I guess it was dumb on my part,” said Gantt, “because it looked like Trosper had hit a brick wall. There I was sending him home and running us out of that inning down five runs.”

Charlie Ross’ throw home from right was on the money and the ball beat Trosper by plenty. But when the dust cleared, Trosper was ruled safe. Lovelace, understandably, was beside himself. He kicked like Earl Weaver, jumped around like Billy Martin and ranted like Leo Durocher. But the call stood and Rowan was on its way back.

Moments later, Nick Lefko got Rowan’s first hit, a solid lick right through the box and it was 5-3.

Rowan tied it in the fourth with two runs, then grabbed the lead in the fifth on Steedley’s run-scoring single.

Then Jimbo Davis made it 8-5 when he launched a neck-high Walker fastball deep into the night for his sixth homer.

“He’d struck me out earlier on a called high fastball and I wasn’t going to let him do that again,” said Davis. “I hit it well.”

After that, it was just a question of whether Rowan could hold on. It did — barely.

Doby, who held Mocksville hitless from the third through the sixth did his part. So did Daniel Cauble, who handed the baton off to Goodman in the eighth.

Under pressure, Goodman fanned Mocksville’s top hitter, Casey Stanley, to end the eighth with the tying run on base, Then the veteran worked a 1-2-3 ninth to end it.

“I figured we’d be up 2-0,” grinned Goodman. “I just didn’t think it would be like this.”

“We’re making it exciting,” added Jimbo. “Believe me, we’re not doing it on purpose.”