LANDIS — It was one of those rare baseball games in which both coaches were glad to see a downpour.
Kannapolis American Legion coach Joe Hubbard welcomed the sixth-inning deluge that halted Saturday night’s league game because his team was comfortably in front 16-6.
South Legion coach Allen Wilson also embraced the cloudburst, because his team’s bubble had burst several innings earlier. Wilson’s team didn’t produce much with its bats, gloves or arms, allowing Kannapolis to escape an ugly early stretch in which it struggled mightily.
Kannapolis’ victory was assured and both coaches had cleared their benches long before the skies unloaded and mercifully brought an end to things.
Wilson traced his team’s disappointing performance to its dramatic comeback victory over Mooresville one night earlier.
“The thing is we haven’t had that much success here, so we just don’t know how to handle success yet,” Wilson said. “I knew as soon as we took infield we were in trouble. We took a terrible round.”
It was a round poor enough that Wilson abruptly stopped hitting infield and took his team into the outfield for a heart-to-heart chat on the finer points of being ready to play.
“How could we not be ready to play Kannapolis?” asked Wilson. “That’s a rival — a big rival. And with a big crowd and with their ace (Zach Ward) on the mound.”
Things went south right off for South starter Jeremy Teague (0-2) when Wally Tuttle reached him for a first-inning homer.
Kannapolis (2-1, 2-0) made it 3-0 in the second on two-out hits by Brett Stirewalt and Chris Florence.
But it was still anyone’s game at that point because while Ward’s breaking ball was completely unhittable — 10 Ks in just three innings— he was having plenty of trouble finding the plate.
“I gave more take signs tonight then I’ve given in my whole life,” said Wilson. “Heck, I was giving take signs with two strikes.”
A bases-loaded walk and a run-scoring wild pitch helped South (2-2, 1-1) close within 3-2 in its half of the second.
But then came a six-run Kannapolis third followed by a six-run Kannapolis fourth, as both Hubbard and Wilson looked on in disbelief.
“I’m certain,” said Hubbard, “that some kind of record was set tonight for pitches thrown in a game. If it hadn’t rained, we might’ve been out here ‘til midnight.”
Teague almost escaped the third down just 4-2, but a walk and a hit batsman gave Florence a chance with the bases full. Then Florence served a soft liner into left field. His innocent-looking single broke the game wide open, as one of the strange plays of the century ensued.
Matt Stack scored easily from third. Stirewalt, running all the way with two outs, dashed home as the throw came in from Matt Morgan. Morgan’s strong toss got past catcher Jeremy Alderman and there was no backup. That enabled Matt Harris, running hard from first, to come sliding home with a third run. Then when Alderman chased down the ball, his throw to the plate to Teague sailed by and rolled through the infield as Florence romped home as well.
Just like that four runs had scored, it was 9-2 and South’s spirit was broken.
“I know I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Hubbard. “How in the world do you score something like that?”
South actually got as close as 9-5 in its half of the third, scoring three wild runs even though Ward fanned four in the inning.
Ward, who hadn’t pitched since the high school season ended, threw 93 pitches in his three innings. Justin Bonds fanned four in his two frames.
Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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