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It wasn’t a league game, but coach Jim Gantt of Rowan County approached it almost like it counted in the standings.
His Rowan American Legion club came from behind at NewmanPark with two runs in the last of the eighth inning for a 3-2 victory over Lexington-Davidson, a Southern Division rival through 1999.
“We definitely didn’t want to go into league play with a loss,” said Gantt, whose team improved to 6-1 overall. Rowan is 1-1 in the Southern Division with nine straight league contests scheduled in 11 days, starting Friday night.
“I guess winning’s not the most important thing, but playing well probably is. It’s nice to come back like that and win,” said Gantt.
“We pitched guys tonight that will be our starters in the league games. They needed some work, and we planned beforehand to pitch them three, three, two and one as far as the innings. It just worked out good that we were ahead after the ninth,” he said.
Left-hander Julian Sides started and worked the first three innings. Right-hander Phillip Goodman threw the next three frames. It was right-hander Brandon Doby’s turn in the seventh and eighth, and he turned out to be the winner when Rowan scored twice in the last of the eighth.
Then southpaw Spencer Steedley, 2-0 for the season, came on in the ninth in a save situation.
He gave up a leadoff single by Tony Leonard, then threw wild at first base on William Walmsley’s sacrifice bunt after looking toward second for a possible forceout. That put runners at first and second with no outs.
“On the bunt, I didn’t think he would take that much time. It’s nice to get that lead runner, but we got to get an out in that situation. Just a bad throw pulled (first baseman) Shawn Trosper off,” said Gantt.
Steedley then got the first save of his career by striking out three straight batters — Brett Younts, Matt Coleman and Zack Hartman, two on breaking pitches and one on a fastball.
“He did well with first and second and no outs. That was a good job,” said Gantt.
“I made that throwing mistake to first, when the ball slipped out the side of my hand. That was big right there. If I could have got that out, they would have never been that close. I still came back good and threw strikes to the next three batters,” said Steedley.
Rowan trailed 2-1 and had only five hits off Lexington’s starter, right-hander Matt Bryant (1-1) going into the eighth inning.
Drew Davis started the eighth with a single up the middle, then Jimbo Davis also singled to center. Ben Hampton drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases.
One out later, Nick Lefko came to the plate. He had watched reliever Payne Caulder throw fastballs to Hampton and to Cory Ruff, who struck out. He singled to center to drive in both Davises.
“I took a ball (on the first pitch),” said the veteran Rowan center fielder. “I was looking for a fastball. I kind of put in a little leg kick and got out in front of it.”
Lefko, a streak hitter, is 5-for-15 with five runs batted in over the last three contests after going 0-for-6 the previous two games.
“I’m glad I could help the team offensively, especially in a clutch situation,” said Lefko.
“It was a big hit,” said Gantt. “His experience of playing in a state tournament last year helped him. He just walked right up there and drove in two runs.”
Lefko was impressed with Rowan’s four pitchers, who combined to give up 11 hits, scattered over eight different innings.
“I thought all four of them did a tremendous job of execution,” said Lefko, one of the big reasons the pitchers get solid defensive support. “We’ve got the variety of two right-handed power pitchers and two left-handers with good curves.”
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NOTES: Doby (2-1) pitched out of a one out, base-loaded jam in the seventh inning to keep Rowan close at 2-1, then struck out the final two batters in the eighth with runners at first and second. ... Lefko(2-for-4) was the only Rowan player with two hits. ... Cal Hayes Jr. and Drew Davis stretched their hitting streaks to seven games, while Shawn Trosper has hit safely in six in a row. ... Rowan hosts Mocksville-Davie at 7:15 p.m. Friday, then meets South Rowan in back-to-back games, Saturday at home and Sunday at South.
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Contact Ed Dupree at 704-797-4258 or edupree@salisburypost.com
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