By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Eastern Randolph’s Ryne Yates started Sunday’s American Legion game at Newman Park on the bench.

“Rowan County had a lefty (Hunter Shepherd) on the mound, so we sat a couple of our lefties to get two more right-handed bats in the lineup,” explained Eastern Randolph coach Jerry Kidd.
But Kidd had a hunch in the sixth inning and sent Yates to the plate as a pinch-hitter. His two-run homer proved to be the turning point in a 10-9 Eastern Randolph victory.
“It’s not difficult to get guys up to play Rowan County, especially playing them in their park in this kind of atmosphere,” Kidd said. “We were focused, ready to play. Rowan is good and you’ve got to play really good to beat them.”
Rowan County led, 8-3, shortly before Yates’ blast, but it had a 14-game winning streak snapped. Rowan hadn’t lost a ballgame since June 4.
“That one swing by Yates turned it around for us,” Kidd said.
The guy who quietly turned things around for Eastern Randolph was John Moore, the second of three ER pitchers. Even after it appeared Rowan County had taken control of yet another game with eight unanswered runs, Moore didn’t lose his composure. He gave his team a chance.
Rowan County (16-5, 11-1) lost for the first time in a league game but has already clinched the No. 1 seed for the Area III playoffs, which begin on Saturday.
Still, this one stung a bit.
“It didn’t go our way, but that’s why baseball is such a humbling game,” Rowan right fielder Harrison Baucom said. “Losing doesn’t sit well with any of us. We’ll bounce back from it.”
There were some unusual bounces in the first inning as Eastern Randolph (14-5, 8-3) scored three unearned runs against Shepherd.
But Shepherd was rolling by the second inning, and Juan Garcia broke the ice for Rowan, driving in two runs with a ground out in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the second frame.
Rowan trailed, 3-2, going to the bottom of the third, but that’s when the home team put together one of its patented huge innings and scored six times. Kacey Otto, Jeremy Simpson, Lee Poteat and Baucom had consecutive singles to get things started. Heath Mitchem’s two-run single and run-scoring hits by Dustin Ritchie and Otto capped the inning.
Shepherd maintained that 8-3 lead into the sixth inning, but that’s when Eastern Randolph got three quick runs with two men out on doubles by Carmine Pagano and Jacob Sipe, and Yates’ soaring, pinch-hit homer.
Shepherd’s night was done after six innings. He’d done his job, but then Eastern Randolph hitters went 9-for-17 against Rowan relievers Noah Jarrett, Alec Hamilton, Cory Fries and Mitchem.
“They were one of the best offensive teams we’ve seen all year,” Mitchem said. “Even against Hunter, they were hitting balls hard.”
Eastern Randolph still trailed, 9-7, going to the eighth inning, but it put together a three-run inning against Hamilton that proved decisive. Bryson Beck delivered the game-tying hit. Easton Jones drove in the run that provided a 10-9 lead.
“We fought back all night, and then we put together a lot of good at-bats in the eighth,” Kidd said. “Guys didn’t try to do too much.”
David Laxton, who had been catching, got the last six outs for Eastern Randolph on the mound. He faced only seven batters in earning a high-pressure save. Baucom lined out to Beck at second base to end the game.
“We gave them a lot of extra outs and a good team like that is going to take advantage and beat you when that happens,” Gantt said. “We made mistakes defensively and on the bases. But maybe we were due for a game like that.”
Eastern Randolph will take some hard-earned momentum into its final regular-season games.
Rowan plays its last regular-season league game Monday at Newman Park against Mooresville, while Eastern Randolph hosts Kannapolis.

Eastern Randolph 300 003 130 — 10 15 1
Rowan County 101 601 00x — 9 12 3
W — Moore. L — Hamilton (1-1).
HR — Yates.