KING — Pitching and defense in a non-league American Legion baseball game?

It happened Sunday night, as Rowan County held off King 3-2 in a battle with few similarities to Rowan’s 16-8 win over King on opening night.

“The pitchers threw strikes and the hitters hit the ball at people,” said Rowan coach Jim Gantt. “It was a good, fast-moving ballgame. That was good to see because we’d been playing slow-pitch softball (13-12 and 13-11 wins) the last two nights.”

Rowan (17-2) got outstanding pitching from youngsters Jacob Cooper (2-0), who got the win, and Jason Cauble, who picked up the save.

Cooper went seven innings, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned. Cauble worked the last two frames.

Rowan’s pitchers got help all night from a defense that bounced back from a shaky effort Saturday at Concord.

Shortstop Cal Hayes Jr. plugged up the middle on a nice play to start the ninth. Third baseman Bobby Parnell followed Hayes with a diving stab of a hot smash and a perfect throw to first.

It was a seesaw battle. Rowan trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before getting even at 2-2.

What proved to be the winning run scored in the sixth when Aaron Rimer singled in Hayes, who had walked and stolen second.

Parnell had two hits for Rowan. Singles by Shawn Trosper and Michael Gegorek accounted for Rowan’s first run.

Rowan plays a big makeup game against Mocksville tonight at NewmanPark. Rowan is 10-2 in league games, while Mocksville is 7-5.

Lefty Spencer Steedley (4-1) will pitch for Rowan. Mocksville has a number of fresh arms available, including Cody Wright, Travis Allen and Andrew Daywalt.

Rowan can clinch a tie for first place in the regular-season race with a win tonight and would secure an outright title if it wins and Kannapolis loses at home to Mooresville.

• Mocksville Legion wins on Poplin’s blast

MOCKSVILLE — Dave Poplin hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to lift Mocksville to a 5-4 Legion win over Concord at Rich Park.

Sunday’s game was the completion of a suspended contest that was tied 0-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

Casey Stanley homered to give Mocksville a 1-0, lead but Concord took a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Mocksville tied it in the eighth, then fell behind 4-3 in the top of the 10th.

But Stanly was hit by a pitch to open the last of the 10th and Poplin then launched an 0-2 pitch into the trees beyond the left-field fence for the win.

Erik Walker went all 10 innings for Mocksville, striking out 16 and scattering nine hits.

• Kannapolis Legion nips Statesville

STATESVILLE — Relief pitcher Andrew Petty struck out the side in the ninth inning with the bases loaded to save a 10-8 win for the Kannapolis Legion team on Sunday.

Kannapolis (7-6, 7-3) led last-place Statesville by as many as five runs before hanging on at the end.

Jonathan Goodman and Matt Stack also pitched for Kannapolis.

Josh McKnight and Brett Stirewalt had two hits apiece to lead Kannapolis’ 10-hit attack. Craig Waller tripled and Matt Harris had a double.