CONCORD — No one can be sure who’s side the birds are on in this American Legion baseball series, but the bees have clearly sided with South Rowan.
A giant bee decided to jam its stinger into one of of Rowan pitcher Adam Earnhardt’s arms while he was working at the Warrior Golf Club on Thursday morning. Fortunately for South, the buzzing insect selected Earnhardt’s left arm as its target. Fortunately — because Earnhardt is a right-hander.
That meant that even though Earnhardt’s reddish left forearm had swelled to Popeye proportions by Friday night, he was still able to put his right one to good use, tossing five good innings as South won a two-day Game 3 shootout with Concord 14-6.
“The sting didn’t affect me,” said Earnhardt. “Thank goodness he got my left arm.”
South now has a 3-0 lead in the second-round series, has reached the .500 mark on the season at 15-15 (after being 3-11 at one point) and goes for a sweep tonight at home.
The game picked up where it left off on Thursday, with Concord (12-15) leading 4-3 and South batting in the third inning. It took South only a few seconds to erase that deficit. Consecutive singles by Greg Deal, Brad Matthews and Jeremy Alderman tied the game at 4. Then Justin Pinyan’s hard bouncer to short skipped past Brandon White to score two and South led 6-4.
South then seized the game by the throat in the bottom of the inning when Earnhardt went out and got Concord 1-2-3.
“When Ernie (Earnhardt) went out there and got ’em that first inning, it was a huge shot in the arm for us,” said South coach Allen Wilson.
All because Earnhardt didn’t have to get a shot in his right arm.
South hitters beat a steady tattoo on Concord’s pitchers all night, just as they’ve done the whole series. South’s scored 41 runs on 48 hits in three games. Greg Deal led a 16-hit onslaught with four hits, three runs and two RBIs. South got a two-run triple from Andrew Morgan and a three-run homer from Aaron Safrit, as it blew the game wide open. Safrit’s homer, his sixth, left him one shy of Chris Goodman’s single-season program record.
“Used to be a pitcher on this team felt like he had to pitch a shutout to win,” said Earnhardt. “But the way the guys are scoring runs right now, pitching is a mighty easy job.”
South had plenty of excuses available for not playing well, but declined to use them. Even with four players sidelined by injury or illness, including starting outfielders Raymondo Brady and Matt Morgan, it just kept rolling, getting the big hits that Concord could not.
Concord stranded an incredible 18 baserunners, leaving the bases full three times.
Meanwhile, South’s defense delivered more often than a Papa John’s vehicle, short-circuiting two Concord comeback tries.
In the sixth, Matt Strickland tried to score from second on Nick Boles’ sharp one-out single to center and was erased by a strong throw from Adam Cornelius to catcher Justin Pinyan.
“There are people with stronger arms than Cornelius, but no one’s more accurate,” said Wilson.
“I didn’t have to do a thing — just tag him out,” said Pinyan. “That throw was awesome.”
In the eighth, it was Pinyan’s turn to make an awesome throw and get reliever Tim Cook, who worked the final two frames, out of a major mess.
Concord had two on with two outs, when Wilson noticed Todd Greene taking an overly generous lead off first.
“I said, ‘Hey, J.P. (Pinyan), wanna pick this guy off?’ ” explained Wilson.
Wilson wasn’t sure Pinyan heard him, until the catcher jumped up and made a quick throw to first baseman Safrit, who tagged Greene out.
“Pinyan’s catching has improved so much,” said Wilson. “That snap throw he made, that was beautiful. That was cool.”
Pinyan also helped out by keeping his young pitcher loose.
“Yeah, I helped him relax by picking on him,” grinned Pinyan. “I went out there and yelled at him when they got those two runs off him.”
Those runs came in the sixth. Slugger Brian York led off that inning.
“The coaches said we hadn’t challenged York the whole series,” said Earnhardt. “They called for an inside fastball. I guess you saw what happened.”
York hammered the pitch over the short left-field wall, but it was only one run and served as a nice reminder to South pitchers how careful they have to be with him when games are tight.
“I’m not sure that ball’s landed yet,” said Earnhardt.
But South keeps landing on its feet, no matter who’s healthy enough to take the field.
“I told them we were down to a 14-man roster,” said Wilson. “But when good teams are in that situation, they just find another hero.”
South found one in Earnhardt.
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NOTES: Tonight is Catawba night at South. Indian football coach David Bennett will throw out the first pitch.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4287 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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