KANNAPOLIS — After nearly a week of working on suntans, the Kannapolis American Legion team got its hide tanned 15-0 by Rowan County on Friday night.

A much anticipated dogfight for first place in Area III Southern Division never materialized, as Rowan (11-1, 6-1) scored in six of its seven innings in the abbreviated, 10-run rule contest.

“We know Kannapolis is better than that,” said a candid Jim Gantt, coach of the Rowan team. “But their guys went to the beach and it’s hard to play well after you’ve been laying around the beach.

“Baseball’s a game of repetition and Kannapolis just wasn’t sharp. If they don’t go to the beach, who knows what happens tonight?”

Kannapolis coach Joe Hubbard, who watched his team fall to 4-5 overall and 4-2 in the league concurred with Gantt.

“We were playing good ball before we had that break, so I have to think the break was a big factor. We couldn’t make a play, didn’t swing the bats.”

Everyone expected an exciting pitching duel between Kannapolis ace Zach Ward (2-1) and Rowan’s Brandon Doby (4-1). But Rowan scratched out four runs in the first two innings without really rapping Ward. Actually, he hit them (Aaron Rimer in the shoulder and Drew Davis in the foot) as much as they hit him.

Down 4-0 after two, Hubbard didn’t exactly throw in the towel, but wisely saved Ward for another day. The right-hander threw just 48 pitches and will likely be able to come back Sunday at Mooresville.

“Zach didn’t have his best stuff and wasn’t feeling real well,” said Hubbard. “So we decided to go in another direction.

Meanwhile, the only direction Rowan was going in was up. Gantt’s club was awesome offensively (16 hits), defensively (shortstop Cal Hayes Jr. made an impossible leaping catch in the third) and on the mound, where Doby spun a superb one-hitter.

The only hit Doby surrendered was a bouncer up the middle by Wally Tuttle on a 2-1 fastball leading off the sixth.

“I turned to somebody and told them, ‘Gosh, Kannapolis hasn’t gotten a hit in a while,’ said Gantt. “Then they told me, ‘Hey, Coach that’s their first one.’ ”

Doby said he’s always struggled with Tuttle, Kannapolis’ No. 3 hitter.

“He’s got a quick bat,” said Doby. “He’s a great hitter. I figured if they got a hit it would probably be him.”

Kannapolis threatened Doby twice.

Kannapolis loaded the bases in the fourth on two walks and an error, but Doby coaxed a routine fly to right from a first-pitch swinging Brooks Little to end the inning.

In the sixth, the first two reached, but Doby blew away the next three batters on strikes.

“He had only thrown 80 pitches after the sixth,” said Gantt. “He was still throwing hard at the end. Give Brandon credit. He’s been working his butt off with (assistant coaches) Brian Hatley and Sandy Moore.”

Doby said his confidence which was wavering a bit late in the high school season has been fully restored.

“I feel great,” he said. “We’ve got a great offense. Kannapolis getting one hit tonight was because of some great defense behind me.”

Besides, Hayes’ magical play, left fielder Jimbo Davis roamed in to take a hit away from Matt Harris and third baseman Cory Ruff cut off a bouncer toward the hole that would have been a really tough play for Hayes.

And apparently, Doby’s new confidence is catching.

“When he’s on the mound, it’s like having Pedro (Martinez) out there,” said Rowan right fielder Aaron Rimer. “Everybody wants to hit for him.”

Since the game turned into a laugher, no one faulted Rimer for his comedic explanation for the true secret of Doby’s success.

Rather than hard work, Rimer credits Doby’s razor.

A few weeks ago, Rimer and Doby sported scraggly beards that made them resemble fur-trapping mountain men from the mid-1800s. But now both are clean-shaven and have assumed choirboy appearances.

“We shaved right before Brandon was going to pitch against South Rowan,” said Rimer. “Being clean-cut — yeah, that’s the key for Brandon.”

“It’s definitely changed my aerodynamics,” offered a grinning Doby.

Meanwhile, Rowan hitters continue to change the aerodynamics of most every fastball they see.

Rowan scored an amazing 12 runs after two were out and put together three-run, four-run and five-run frames.

The game got out of hand in the fifth after Kannapolis passed Shawn Trosper with two outs and a runner at third to get to No. 9 hitter Michael Gegorek.

But Gegorek singled to keep the inning going, and so did the next three batters — Hayes, Rimer and Drew Davis. Suddenly, a 5-0 game was 10-0.

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com