Rowan County’s Game 1 victory over Burlington-Graham Tuesday night read like something straight off the History Channel.
The script for Post 342’s 11-5 come-from-behind win was similar to many we’ve seen before. Rowan struggles for traction in the early innings, gains its footing and eventually races past another air-sucking opponent.
“We don’t panic when we’re down,” catcher Drew Davis explained at Newman Park, where Rowan (29-3) drew first blood in this best-of-seven third-round series. “We’ve all been there before.”
It showed, particularly in the game’s late stages. Rowan erased a 4-2 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and then erupted for seven more in the eighth.
“I don’t know where it came from,” coach Jim Gantt said with a quizzical grin. “But it sure took us a long time to get going. I wasn’t sure if we were ready to play or not tonight. Finally we came around.”
Gantt’s concern was soothed in a big way as Rowan chased B-G starting pitcher Josh Willets with four straight hits in the eighth and then thumped loser Blake Jordan in the final inning.
“We just ran out of pitching,” Burlington coach Todd Wirt said after Post 63 dropped to 20-14. “We’re here right off an emotional, seven-game series with no break. It was probably fatigue. We just couldn’t stop the bleeding there for a while.”
The visitors took two-run lead against winning pitcher Julian Sides, scoring twice on a third-inning error and another two runs when Jordan whacked a fifth-inning homer over the left-center field wall. Sides (5-0), who was more of a workhorse than a show horse, spent most of the first eight innings sidestepping land mines. He allowed seven hits and six walks in a lumpy-yet-effective performance.
“You know, people see that and they think he didn’t pitch well,” Davis protested. “But he did. He only gave up four runs to a great-hitting team like Burlington. He got the groundball when he needed it. He got the strikeout when he needed it. When all was said and done, he had another good night.”
So did Davis. The rock-solid catcher went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double that cut Rowan’s deficit to 4-3. He later scored the tying run on Spencer Steedley’s base hit.
It served as a fitting preview to the decisive eighth inning, when Rowan sent 11 batters to the plate and collected five hits. “As the game proceeded, we proceeded with the game,” shortstop Cal Hayes waxed poetic. “We got better every inning.”
The eighth began when Rowan’s Shawn Trosper took a Jordan fastball between the numbers on his back. Two batters later Hayes drilled a run-scoring double to left, providing his third hit of the game and a 5-4 lead. Aaron Rimer struck next, looping an RBI single to left-center. Then Steedley, the strapping DH who went 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs, blasted a two-run double to the Jim’s Barbecue sign in left.
“Once somebody got it started, we really got it going,” said Steedley. “It was contagious. We were all having fun that inning.”
It’s a wonder there wasn’t a fight at the bat rack. Two more runs scored on Jimbo Davis’ clothesline single to right before Cory Ruff provided the final Rowan hit — its 17th of the game — when he lined a run-scoring single to right.
“Yeah, they hit the ball hard,” said Jordan, the seldom-used reliever who walked two batters, hit two others and unleashed two wild pitches — all in the eighth inning. “But I ain’t a pitcher. I only came in because I had to. I was just doing what they told me to do.”
Perhaps Jordan should stick to swinging his scalding bat. He added his fifth home run of the summer — a rainbow shot to straight-away center — against Rowan reliever Phillip Goodman in the top of the ninth. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and reached base five times.
But if this game belonged to one person, it was Steedley. The rising East Rowan junior has gone 10-for-18 in the playoffs and boosted his batting average to .417.
“Ah, I’ve done it before,” he said with a casual, post-game wave in the Rowan dugout. “We all have.”
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