Staff report

SALISBURY — McCall Henderson hammered two doubles and drove in three runs as Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team rolled again on Tuesday.

Rowan breezed past Mooresville 12-5, mostly with a six-run fifth inning that included a two-run double by Henderson that hit high off the wall at Newman Park.

Henderson played jayvee ball for East Rowan, but the strong, 5-foot-10, 190-pound lefty hitter has found a home as Rowan County’s primary DH.

Blake Hill, a reserve for the Mustangs who has taken over as Rowan County’s third baseman, got the scoring started in the first inning with a two-run double.

Jackson Deal’s run-scoring single in the second inning made it 3-0.

Henderson’s first double and Luke Graham’s two-run double helped push Rowan’s lead to 6-0 in the third.

After Mooresville (4-6) got back to 6-2, Rowan put the game away with that big fifth inning. Casey Gouge had a run-scoring single. Aiden Schenck walked with the bases loaded. Two runs scored on a throwing error before Henderson unloaded his long double.

On the mound, Rowan (13-5) got the job done with a series of pitchers.

Matthew Connolly provided a sensational start, needing only 29 pitches to handle three innings.

Alex Hagler was strong out of the bullpen. He got a double-play ball in the fifth and struck out the side in the sixth before running into trouble in the seventh.

Mooresville scored three times on five hits in the seventh.

Graham got the final out.

Rowan is home again Wednesday night against Caldwell County (4-4).

 

Mooresville 000 200 3  — 5

Rowan          213   060 x  — 12

HR — None.

W — Connolly (1-0). L — Walker.