Staff report

MOORESVILLE — Luke Barringer and Bo Rusher blasted homers for Rowan County, but it was still Mooresville’s night.

Mooresville rode a powerful pitching performance by Jaxon Mays to a relatively easy 8-3 win against Rowan in a divisional game on Thursday. Mays didn’t allow a hit until Barringer homered leading off the fifth inning.

Mays struck out 10 batters, walked one and limited Rowan to three hits. Even Rowan slugger Wayne Mize, who entered the game batting .500, went 0-for-3.

Mooresville  (5-10, 3-1) produced four hits against Rowan starter Corbin Durham in the bottom of the first inning, scored twice and led all the way. Rowan might have gotten out of that first  inning without any damage when Durham picked a runner off first base with two men out, but first baseman Mize’s throw to second base was into the runner. With the inning still alive, Mooresville got two-out RBI singles from Jermie Greene and Drew Martin.

Mooresville pushed its advantage to 4-o in the second inning, with Scotty Diekman and Gage Smith driving home runs with back-to-back doubles.

Corbin Durham’s night on the mound ended when David Brennan stroked a lead-off single to open the bottom of the third. At that point, Mooresville had out-hit Rowan, 8-0.

Barringer got Rowan on the scoreboard when he ended Mays’ no-hit bid with his sixth homer of the summer leading off the fifth.

Rowan reliever Scout Nichols got Rowan through the third and fourth innings without serious trouble, but Rowan’s defense unraveled in the fifth, and Mooresville broke the game open with three unearned runs, taking a 7-1 lead. Nichols’ throwing error on a potential double-play bouncer back to the box  keyed the inning.

Mooresville scored on a balk to tack on its final run against Rowan reliever Michael Molenda in the sixth frame.

In the seventh inning, Barringer reached base on an infield hit with one out and was on board for Rusher unloaded his third homer of the season.

While there’s a huge difference in their overall records, Rowan (17-6, 3-1) is now  tied with Mooresville in the Southern Division of Area III. Concord is 2-0 in division play.

This was the first time that Rowan really wasn’t in a game. All of Rowan’s previous losses were by one or two runs.

Rowan gets a chance regroup today and welcomes Northern Division contender Randolph County Post 45 to Newman Park on Saturday night at 7 o’clock. Mocksville visits Newman Park for a Southern Division game on Sunday night.

Rowan County     000   010   2    — 3   3   4

Mooresville           220   031    x    — 8   11  1

W — Mays. L — C. Durham (1-1).

HR — Rowan: Barringer (6), Rusher (3).

Leading hitters — Rowan: Barringer 2-for-3, RBI; Rusher 1-for-3, 2 RBIs. Mooresville: Smith 2-for-3, RBI; Braxton Russ 2-for-3, RBI; Greene 2-for-4, RBI.