Staff report
The West Rowan Junior Legion team won 2-1 against Morehead City on Monday afternoon and stayed alive in the double-elimination state tournament in Granite Falls.
Zeb Burns, youngest player in the history of the program, held Morehead City to one run in four innings. Winning pitcher Olen Stamper relieved Burns with two on and no outs in the fifth, got out of that jam and pitched the rest of the way.
“Burns (a rising eighth grader) earned a role as our No. 4 starter and he came through all year,” West Rowan coach Jesse Link said. “He came through again today.”
West Rowan tied the game 1-all in the fourth when Stamper’s double on a hit-and-run scored Travis Cone from first base.
Timmy Wilmot scored from second base on Brandon Walton’s single in the fifth for a 2-1 lead.
Tuesday is the final day of the tournament. Three teams are still in contention, all with one loss.
West Rowan (23-11) plays host South Caldwell at 1 p.m.
The winner of West Rowan-South Caldwell plays Davidson County at approximately 4 p.m. for the championship.
“You can’t win it unless you’re in it on the last day,” Link said. “And we’re still in it.”
South Caldwell handed Davidson County its first loss on Monday.