MOORESVILLE — Apparently a few days at the shore has done wonders for Southern Rowan’s American Legion team.
Its players returned tanned, rested and refreshed from a short sabbatical on Friday and promptly dealt the host Mooresville Moors a 13-7 defeat.
“We had nine guys returning from a week at the beach,” coach Ben Hampton said after SR (8-4) won its third straight game and beat Post 66 for the third time. “I expected us to be off-kilter a little bit after that. But to see them make the in-game adjustments they made, I was happy with that.”
Southern collected 11 hits, including a pair of doubles off Bryson Prugh’s scalding bat and another by Jacob Fulton. Teammate Dylan Carpenter went 3-for-4, stole two bases and knocked in four runs.
“We missed Carp’s bat during senior week,” said Prugh, who laced a pair of home runs in Tuesday’s win against Randolph. “It’s good to have him back. He hits the ball like a four-hole hitter and runs like a one-spot. That’s a great combination.”
Both Prugh and Carpenter helped Southern mount a 5-0 lead in the second inning. Leadoff batter Tyler Fuller scored the game’s first run when he coaxed a four-pitch walk from losing pitcher Logan Beegle — a right-handed off-speed specialist who initially had SR overswinging at pitches just off the plate. He advanced to second on a hit batsman, stole third and crossed on John Daugherty’s groundout.
An inning later SR sent 10 batters to the plate and cracked the game open. First Carpenter delivered a two-out, two-run single to center field. Two batters later Prugh roped a stinging, two-run double off the left-field fence.
“Two-out hitting always wins games for you,” said Moors coach Seth Graham. “Beegle’s a better pitcher than he showed, but sometimes you have to tip your cap. They played well and didn’t do anything to hurt themselves.”
It had a lot to do with putting runners on base and moving them over. “If you get on base, good things are going to happen,” said Carpenter, who also scored twice. “We’re finally hitting as a team, not as individuals all trying to hit it our every time.”
Mooresville (5-8) scored three times in the last of the second against SR starter Dillon Parker, who yielded five hits and hit a man in two innings. Dillon Atwell relieved and was credited with the win after hurling two hitless innings. Aaron Bare, Billy Winecoff and Austin Bracewell also recorded scoreless relief stints while hard-luck lefty Blake Cauble surrendered four unearned runs.
Hampton was more impressed with Southern’s selectiveness at the plate. “Especially with less than two outs, you’ve got a job to do,” he said. “Everyone made little, personal adjustments.”
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NOTE: SR will host the Moors tonight before opening Southeast Division play against Rowan County on Sunday night at Newman Park. kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk