Cable may bring the world ESPN, but Cauble brings wins from the pen.

Daniel Cauble, that amazing West Rowan High jayvee, did it one more time on Monday night. The rangy right-hander notched his fifth straight mound victory as Rowan’s Legion baseball team held off an inspired Mocksville squad 8-6 at NewmanPark.

Rowan (18-2, 11-2) has offered fans four consecutive nights of rowdy entertainment that would be hard for even Nick at Nite to compete with. Rowan won all four — by a grand total of six runs.

“I know the crowd likes ballgames like this,” sighed Rowan center fielder Nick Lefko. “But I’m not so sure we do.”

This one was the biggest to date. It clinched at least a tie for the regular-season title. Rowan pursues another outright Area III Southern Division crown tonight in its league finale at Stanly County.

The victory was a sweet one for Rowan, because Mocksville (7-6, tied for fourth in league play) contested it bitterly.

The first break went to Rowan when Mocksville coach Mike Lovelace started finesse left-hander Ryan Weavil on the mound. Rowan had faced a guy who may as well have been Weavil’s twin brother at King on Sunday.

“We see lots of lefties,” said Rowan coach Jim Gantt. “And these two were exactly alike.”

Familiarity bred base hits, as Rowan bowled over the wily Weavil for six runs in the first two innings. Lefko slapped a two-out, 2-and-2 curve over the third-base bag for a two-run double to key a four-run first. A two-out, two-run smash through the left side by Jimbo Davis in the second made it 6-0.

Rowan appeared headed for a ho-hummer and a welcome break from all those nail-biters. But, all at once, Mocksville started doing things right. More accurately, Mocksville started doing things Wright. Right-hander Cody Wright, who hadn’t pitched in two weeks, spelled Weavil and wove magic. Wright rocked Rowan for five innings, giving his team a chance to regroup.

“It was the best Cody’s thrown all year,” said Lovelace. “Everyone showed a lot of guts to battle back from 6-0 against a great team like Rowan.”

Rowan lefty Spencer Steedley, who threw seven shutout innings when Rowan blasted Mocksville 8-0 at Rich Park, was rolling until an unusual play in the third. Mocksville had bases loaded, two outs when Chris Seaford rapped a meek comebacker to Steedley. Steedley casually flipped the ball to first baseman Shawn Trosper and was almost in the dugout when he heard the crowd yelling. Trosper had jabbed his foot at the bag twice, but the base umpire ruled he never touched it. The scoreless spell was broken. For the rest of the night, Steedley would swim against the current.

“That one play seemed to get Mocksville going — gave ’em life,” said Gantt.

With two outs and the bases clean in the fourth, Steedley’s control of his curve and slider deserted him. He walked two, then missed twice with breakers to Andrew Daywalt and had to throw a fastball. Daywalt whistled it for an RBI single. Next was red-hot Casey Stanley. Again Steedley fell behind with breaking balls, came in with waist-high heat and watched the ball disappear over the left-field fence for Stanley’s third homer in three nights. The romp had become a 6-5 struggle.

“We got off to a fast start, but then we got a little lazy,” said Rowan catcher Drew Davis. “Can’t do that. Mocksville’s a good team.”

The Rowan receiver contributed a marvelous pickup and spinning throw to first on a bunt in the sixth, but Mocksville still tied it at 6-all on another hit by Stanley. Concerned fans pleaded with Gantt to jettison Steedley.

“Fans always want you to change pitchers,” said Gantt. “But you can’t just run them in and out. Spencer’s one of our best and if you can’t stay with your best who can you stay with. I told him we needed him to fight through the seventh inning and he told me he could do it.”

Mocksville’s comeback had given it all the momentum in the world. But Steedley never cracked, never allowed another huge hit. Never let the game slip away for good.

“We just couldn’t quite take charge,” said Lovelace. “Steedley showed me something.”

“I knew I had to suck it up,” said Steedley.

Steedley handed off the baton to human four-leaf clover Cauble for the eighth and he baffled three straight hitters.

Rowan pushed across the deciding runs in its half of the inning. Cal Hayes Jr. led off with a double — his third hit. Aaron Rimer bunted Hayes over. Drew Davis followed with a hard grounder to third. Stanley prevented Hayes from scoring by chasing him back to the bag, but Davis was safe at first. Davis then strolled to second unchallenged and Steedley was walked intentionally to load the bases. Then, with Jimbo Davis batting, a 2-1 Wright fastball glanced off the mitt of catcher Justin Paschal, allowing Hayes to sprint home with the tiebreaker.

Wright walked Jimbo Davis to reload the bases, then gave way to “Hammer” Barnes. Barnes snuck strike three past Lefko, but lost pinch-hitter Ben Hampton on a 3-1 count and Rowan had insurance. “Ben was selective,” said Gantt. “That was a big run.”

Cauble nailed it shut with a 1-2-3 ninth, retiring Daywalt and Stanley, who combined for all five Mocksville hits.

“Cauble just keeps on throwing strikes,” said Steedley. “The guy does it every time.”

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