American Legion Baseball: Rowan moves to 4-0

Published 1:02 am Friday, May 26, 2023

 

Staff report

SALISBURY — Walk-off wins on errors aren’t glamorous, but Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team will take it.

Rowan County pulled out a 3-2 decision on Thursday night at Newman Park against the same Mooresville club it had pummeled 15-0 on the road.

Rowan (4-0) benefited from more strong pitching, although relievers Cole Johnson and Luke Graham were nicked for runs late in the game, the first earned runs allowed by Rowan pitchers this season.

Morgan Padgett got things started on the mound in positive fashion with four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and one walk, while whiffing four.

Johnson allowed a run on three hits in his two innings, but he also struck out three.

Graham took the mound to get the save in the seventh, but that didn’t work out. He allowed the tying run on a two-out walk and double and settled for the win instead.

Rowan County scored in the bottom of the first. Graham led off with a hit. Blake Hill hit into a force play to erase Graham. Hill scored on Hayden Simmerson’s double.

Graham kept the third inning alive with a two-walk. That got Hill to the plate and his triple to left gave Rowan County a 2-0 lead.

Mooresville used a two-out hit in the fifth to get back within 2-1.

Rowan missed a wonderful chance to add insurance in the bottom of the sixth when Aiden Schenk led off with a booming triple, but Rowan couldn’t get the run home.

Graham was one out away from saving the win for Padgett when he allowed a walk and a game-tying double in the top of the seventh.

Elijah Palmer lined a single to left to start the bottom of  the seventh for Rowan. Palmer stole second and scored with one out when Graham reached on an error.

Rowan County will play Davidson County at Holt-Moffitt Field on Friday and will host Davidson County on Sunday.

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Mooresville         000      001   1   — 2   6   1

Rowan County   101       000   1    — 3    5   0

W — Graham (1-0).