MOORESVILLE— At long last, the skies over Mooresville High School cleared of rain, lightning and controversy.
It took just 40 minutes Tuesday night for the Mooresville American Legion baseball team to finish what it started Monday — a 6-5 victory over South Rowan.
Umpires suspended the game due to rain and lightning Monday night with Mooresville leading 6-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. In most baseball circles, the game would’ve been official. But Legion playoff games must go the distance, so the squads gathered again Tuesday night and played it out.
“I don’t like treating the fans like this,”Mooresville head coach Whitey Meadows said. “I don’t think it’s fair for people to travel to see three innings of baseball. Once you play 412, 5 innings, the game should stand.
“We’re making a farce out of the game.”
Meadows said he voted against the completion rule — and was overturned — but hopes the subject comes up again with new Legion commissioner Tony Morris of Stanly County.
The rule could’ve helped South Rowan, which led 5-1 Monday before Mooresville (16-11) gathered the momentum with five unanswered runs. A rally Tuesday night would’ve meant a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Now the second-seeded Moors have new life against No. 7South.
“After getting beat pretty handily the last two nights, it’s good for the kids,”Meadows said. “They’re confident that they can win two in a row, three in a row. If we can beat them at their place and then come back here, the pressure’s on them.”
South (10-15) kept the pressure on Mooresville throughout the last three innings. Chris Mills, who relieved for starter Seth Graham, gave up a two-out single to Adam Cornelius in the seventh and hit Jeremy Alderman. He escaped the jam when Raymondo Brady grounded out to second.
In the eighth, Matt Morgan doubled with two outs and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Mills struck out Greg Deal with a nasty curve.
Justin Pinyan delivered a one-out single in the ninth but was stranded at first.
“We had runners in scoring position, we just didn’t get the two-out hit,”South head coach Allen Wilson said. “We had our chances.
“We knew the series wasn’t over at 2-0,”Wilson added. “I hate the way we played last night, but we’ll erase this as soon as we leave tonight.”
South reliever Adam Earnhardt made sure Mooresville didn’t increase its lead, allowing just two hits in his three innings of work. He struck out three and picked off a runner in the bottom of the sixth despite having no idea he’d be called upon.
“I went out and pitched like it was the first three innings,”Earnhardt said of the odd situation. “I was expecting to start today (in Game 4), but when we came out to finish I thought (Monday reliever Brandon) Hiatt would be back in.”
Tuesday’s quick night did wonders for both pitching staffs, as South’s No. 1 Andrew Morgan, the Game 1 winner, is ready to go tonight. Mooresville will counter with Tyler Lackey and should have ace Seth Graham ready to go again Thursday.
The 24-hour loss did nothing to shatter South’s confidence as it continues its upset bid.
“We’re still up 2-1,”Earnhardt said. “They have to come back to our place and we’ll beat them.”
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NOTES: Both hits Earnhardt allowed ended up being wiped out on the basepaths. … For the overall game, South out-hit Mooresville 12-6. Each team stranded 11 runners.
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Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4287 or shanf@salisburypost.com
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