For only the second time all season, Drew Davis didn’t get a base hit.

That didn’t stop him from being the hero.

The Rowan County catcher was the man in his team’s down-to-the-wire 8-5 win over Statesville in the opening game of the first round of the American Legion playoffs.

Davis managed to “pitch” 1 1/3 innings from behind the plate. He picked off two Statesville baserunners and pegged out another duo who had larceny in their hearts.

“Sometimes Drew helps our pitchers more than they help themselves,” smiled Rowan coach Jim Gantt.

Davis’ biggest play came in the ninth. Statesville had the bases loaded, had already scored two runs and had Rowan reliever Daniel Cauble in serious trouble.

But when Curtis Thompson swung through a pitch, Davis zipped a missile to first baseman Shawn Trosper, who slapped a tag on Justin Wolfe, who had just delivered a clutch, run-scoring single.

“The runner was anticipating the ball being hit,” said Davis. “I saw how far off he was and threw it. Fortunately, Shawn was there.”

It takes a special confidence to make that sort of play. Make a bad throw and two runs are in and the game is up for grabs. But Davis made it.

“That’s a great play by Davis,” said Statesville coach Donnell Poole. “We had ’em on the ropes.”

Gantt says that a good catcher is like a good umpire — you don’t notice them.

While everyone does notice that Davis can hit (he’s over .400 even after last night’s 0-for-3), sometimes fans don’t notice that Rowan rarely has a wild pitch or a passed ball and it’s front-page news when an opponent steals a base.

“I do pride myself on my defense,” said Davis. “Most teams don’t try to run on me. I’m glad when they do.”

Hey, it’s not bragging if you can back it up.

Gantt’s just glad that Davis, along with teammates, shortstop Cal Hayes Jr. and centerfielder Nick Lefko, cut short their State Games appearance to help out their Rowan buddies.

Lefko had three singles and provided his daily diving catch. Hayes scored twice, drove in a big run and enjoyed a terrific night in the field.

Top-seeded Rowan (21-2) needed everything it could get, because last-place Statesville (3-21) definitely came to play.

“I don’t think we were overconfident,” said Gantt. “We took a great round of batting practice. But then we started the game a little flat and then they’re pitcher (right-hander Tyler Combs) kept us flat.”

Gantt’s players agreed.

“I think you have to give Statesville a lot of credit,” said Lefko. “I tell you what. Maybe they finished last, but to me they’re not a last-place team. They’ve got some big old boys.”

Actually, Statesville is a last-place team in name only. Believe it or not, Poole’s team lost nine one-run games this season and three of those white-knucklers were to second-seeded Mooresville.

“Maybe we were kind of dragging out there for awhile,” said Davis. “But they played us tough right down to the last out.”

A pitcher’s duel developed early as Combs kept Rowan ‘s bombers off-balance and Doby kept throwing strikes and letting his defenders make plays.

Rowan scored first in the second when Trosper squibbed one to second base to get Jimbo Davis home from third.

Rowan made it 2-0 on consecutive two-out singles by Spencer Steedley, Jimbo Davis and Lefko in the third.

Statesville struck for a three-run “Adam” bomb in the fifth when burly first baseman Adam Wilhelm, an old AAU buddy of many of the Rowan players, hit one out of sight on Doby’s only mistake of the night.

Rowan took the lead for good in the sixth on Lefko’s checked-swing infield hit and a couple of errors.

Then it became a near blowout after Doby pitched through a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh and Rowan racked up five runs in the next two frames against a tiring Combs.

A heads-up baserunning play by Drew Davis — who stopped in the baseline between first and second rather than racing into a tag by second baseman Pope that might well have led to a double play — keyed a two-run eighth.

Aaron Rimer’s blistering double was the focal point of a three-run eighth.

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4287 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .