Staff report

SALISBURY — Hamlet bludgeoned baseballs in the last two innings and rallied to beat Rowan County 8-5 on Tuesday at Newman Park.

It was the second straight loss for Rowan, which is in the midst of a grueling stretch of games.

Rowan (9-2) appeared to be in control most of the night and took a four-run lead to the top of the sixth, but Hamlet put together back-to-back big innings. Hamlet would’ve scored more, but Rowan center fielder Elijah Palmer made several running catches.

Rowan received numerous walks in the early innings, but never could get the big hit and never could put Hamlet away.

JT Taylor and Drew Burton accepted bases-loaded walks in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.

Palmer bunted home a run in the third, plating Taylor on a safety squeeze for a 3-0 advantage.

Mikey Beasley shut down Hamlet for three innings. He ran into control issues in the fourth with three consecutive walks, but Joe Burleyson relieved and got Rowan out of a bases-loaded jam.

Aiden Schenck knocked in Blake Hill for another run for Rowan in the fourth.

When Taylor walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch, Rowan had a 5-1 lead after five innings that looked secure, but it didn’t hold up.

Hamlet got the bats going against relievers Cole Johnson and Alex Hagler to tie the game at 5-all in the sixth. Then Burton was tagged with the loss in the seventh.

Rowan is at home on Wednesday against Chatham County at 7 p.m.

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LEXINGTON — Kannapolis beat Davidson County 3-2 on Tuesday in a game that went nine innings.

Zack Helms had a run-scoring double in the top of the ninth, as Kannapolis (6-3) bounced back from a 5-4 loss at Mocksville on Monday.

Kannapolis pitching was strong, as Tanner Kaler and Brett Morris combined for 14 strikeouts. Davidson (7-3) only had three hits.

Conner Coy, Brooks Hubbard and Jalan Chambers had two hits each to lead a nine-hit Kannapolis attack. Chambers had a triple, while Hubbard had a double.