By Bill Kiser
sports@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó South Rowan coach David Wright figured that Post 185-146’s playoff series against Lexington would produce a lot of hits and runs.
But it was a handful of defensive stops and mistakes Tuesday night that spelled the difference in South Rowan’s 16-6 win over Post 8.
South (19-13) scored early and often in its Area III, Southern Division semifinal series with top-seeded Lexington (23-7), including a five-run seventh inning that put an end to the contest.
It now sends the teams back to Lexington tonight with the best-of-five series tied at 1-1, and fourth-seeded South Rowan looking at new life after blowing a 5-run lead in losing Game 1 a day earlier.
“It was big, because we didn’t start well (Monday night),” said Wright, his voice hoarse from a sinus problem. “Every time we’ve played them, it’s been decided by the offense, and that’s the way the series will be.
“But the big thing tonight was that we didn’t have as many bad innings … we made the routine plays, and we have several big plays.”
Plays like the two double plays South’s defense turned, both of which kept Lexington from turning one- and two-run innings in the first and sixth innings into something bigger, and a Caleb Shore-to-Matt Ingold-to-Brett Huffman throwout at third that ended the fourth inning.
Add to that three Lexington errors, and that allowed South Rowan to build on a 5-run cushion it put up in the bottom of the first inning.
“They can swing it,” Wright said of Lexington. “But we jumped on them early and set the tone, and was able to stick with it.”
South Rowan pounded out 15 hits ó including home runs by Walker Snow and Ryan Bostian ó and scored in every inning but one. All but one South player had at least one hit, and all but two scored at least one run.
Weston Church drove in four runs, and scored the game-ender when Lexington center fielder Zach Joyce wildly overthrew third base.
Bostian drove in three runs with his seventh-inning homer that kicked off a 5-run frame.
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NOTES: Cameron Park got the win for South, scattering seven hits and allowing four runs over 5 1/3 innings. He also gave up five walks and struck out one. … Zach Hudson took the loss for Lexington, giving up nine runs (eight of them earned) off 10 hits in 32/3 innings. … Six players ó Bostian, Church, Ingold, Shore, Snow and Maverick Miles ó had two hits each for South Rowan. … Matt Tysinger went 3-for-3 and Zach Briggs added two hits (including a home run) to lead Post 8.