Staff report
SALISBURY ó Rowan County took its batting practice during the fifth inning of a 15-2 seven-inning victory over Kannapolis at Newman Park on Sunday night.
Dakota Brown was just one of the Rowan players to shine on this night. The North Rowan product, hitting under .200, doubled in the third inning and scored. He reached base in the fourth.
And in the fifth, he was part of an impressive 10-run, 10-hit inning. Brownís two-run double gave Rowan (17-6, 13-4) a 7-2 advantage and he immediately trotted home on Justin Morrisí three-run homer.
For Morris, it was his sixth homer and gave him four RBIs in the game and 24 on the season.
Matt Mauldin had four hits and made some good defensive plays. He knocked in a run in the fifth and scored. Matt Laurens replaced winner Bradley Robbins in the fifth and was the beneficiary of the bottom of the inning in which 15 men came to the plate.
But who wasnít a part of the offensive onslaught?
Luke Thomas hit a double to score Andy Austin. Taylor Garczynski was hitting, scoring and stealing bases.
The win kept Rowan in first place while Kannapolis, battling for its playoff life, fell to 5-11, 5-11.
Kannapolis actually led 1-0 in the third when Josh Martin scored. It didnít last long after Brown and Morris had back-to-back doubles and Austin slugged his second homer of the year. Will Sappís sacrifice fly scored Mauldin in the fourth for a 4-1 lead, setting up the fifth-inning fireworks.
Austin had a homer, single and double in the 18-hit night for Rowan.