By Mike London
Salisbury PostLANDIS ó Officially, Weston Church saved South Rowan’s 7-6 victory against Mooresville on Sunday, but shortstop Matthew Ingold unofficially saved it three times with his glove.Defense was the key in a non-league American Legion game and helped South (3-4) reverse Friday’s ugly 15-5 setback at Mooresville.
“It’s a long summer, and what you have to do is keep getting better every time you go out there,” South coach David Wright said. “Our pitchers let our defense make some plays for them tonight.”Zach Wright and relievers Alex Ingold and Church pitched well. That was huge with Randy Shepherd, one of the team’s projected aces, sidelined after being struck on his right thumb by a pitch in Saturday’s game at Kannapolis.”Randy had more movement in the thumb today than last night, and we’re optimistic his absence is short-lived,” Coach Wright said. “The big positive tonight was the way Zach Wright went out there and competed against a real good team. We need him.”
Wright allowed four runs in the first inning, but he settled down, worked out of numerous jams, survived six walks and left the mound after six innings with a 7-5 lead. “It scared me the way things started out,” he said. “I missed some spots the first inning, but my changeup kept working for me.”
Wright, threw great changeups to Mooresville’s powerful No. 3 hitter Dylan West, who struck out three times, and South’s defensive was terrific. Matthew Ingold made two spectacular plays to get Wright through the second inning, and Wright stranded Mooresville runners at third base in the third, four and fifth innings.
Alex Ingold, who doesn’t pitch much, held Mooresville to a single run in the seventh and eighth. Center fielder Ryan Bostian helped out, chasing down a blast by Donnie Burt that traveled nearly 400 feet to end the seventh.
Matthew Ingold helped out his younger brother with a great stop and throw in short left to strand two Moors in the eighth. Had that ball gone through, Mooresville would have taken the lead.
“I just try to make plays and help out on defense,” Matthew Ingold said. “My brother’s pitching surprised me too. I thought he was a catcher.”
Church walked the leadoff man in the ninth, but second baseman C.J. Neal, Ingold and Brett Huffman were turning a double play moments later to end the last Mooresville threat.
Walker Snow led South’s offense with three RBIs. Snow had a two-run single in the first. Back-to-back doubles by Maverick Miles and Snow gave South its first lead at 5-4 in the fifth, and a throwing error boosted South’s advantage to 6-4.
Church crushed a no-doubt homer in the sixth for the insurance run that proved decisive. It was likely the first of many the Catawba slugger will mash over South’s left-field porch this summer.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4287 or mlondon@salisburypost.com.