Baseball: South Rowan 4, West Rowan 1

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By Mike London

mlondon@salisburypost.com

MOUNT ULLA — South Rowan's Tyler Kowalczyk and West Rowan's Taylor Garczynski likely set a world record for most combined letters in the names of the two leadoff batters.

Twenty-nine.

Other than that, Tuesday's NPC game was notable mostly for a fine performance by South lefty Dylan Walker.

Walker, who finished a two-hitter with his ninth strikeout, had the look of a guy wanting to leap into the arms of catcher Josh Herring, but they settled for a gentle slap of gloves after the Raiders prevailed 4-1.

That low-key celebration was exactly what South coach Thad Chrismon wanted to see. Even though South (3-1, 1-0) had gone 1-11 against West the previous five seasons, no Raiders performed backflips.

"We don't want to get too excited about one win or one loss," Chrismon said. "We beat a good club, but it's a very long season. All this means is we are off to a solid start."

Walker's had two straight strong outings after winning only once as a junior.

"Dylan's come a long way as far as his maturity," Chrismon said. "He held that bunch down. He pitched the game I thought he could pitch."

South shortstop Maverick Miles is 8-for-12 this season after a 2-for-4 effort, and it would've been 3-for-4 if West center fielder Jon Crucitti hadn't made a sliding catch in right-center to rob a sure double and possible triple.

The Falcons (1-4, 0-1) did OK early. Left fielder Hunter Teeter made a tumbling catch to take extra bases away from Steve Erwin in the top of the second, and West jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom half.

Chandler Jones hustled out an infield hit by an eyelash, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on D.J. Webb's two-out single to left. But those were the only two hits Walker allowed.

"I found my curveball in the third inning, and my changeup was good today," Walker said.

Walker often got ahead of hitters with his curve, then threw fastballs when he was ahead in the count and they were looking for curveballs.

Pitching backward is what coaches call it, and he put on a PB clinic Tuesday.

"Give Dylan credit, but we knew exactly what he would try to do and we'd discussed it," West coach David Wright said. "But we didn't make adjustments. I don't think we had a good at-bat all day."

Miles' two-out RBI single in the third got South even, and the Raiders scratched two decisive runs in the fifth against West southpaw Zack Simpson. They crossed on a throwing error and Cory Deason's groundout.

"We didn't tear it up at the plate," Chrismon said. "But we also didn't have many at-bats that were nothing but strike out and walk back to the dugout. Usually, we made contact, moved a runner."

Simpson was relieved by Matt Miller in the sixth. Both pitched well enough to keep the Falcons close, but West hitters never solved Walker.

The last straw for West was a shot Jones lashed with two out and one on in the sixth. The ball was smoked directly over center fielder Blake Houston's head, but Houston streaked to the fence and made a running basket catch.

"When that ball was hit," Walker said, "all I'm thinking is, 'Blake, go get it.' "

He got it.