Staff report

SALISBURY — Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team tumbled to 1-5 on Sunday at Newman Park.

Rowan got off to a promising start and led 4-0 behind lefty pitcher Connor Park, but ran out of gas in the fourth and lost 8-4 to a strong High Point squad.

Two of Rowan’s early runs scored when Eli Graham hit a hard shot past High Point’s third baseman. He was credited with a two-run single.

Rowan only had four hits, including two by Eli Graham. Luke Graham and Elijah Palmer had a hit apiece.

Brant Graham and Eli Koontz picked up RBIs with productive outs.

Rowan had plenty of baserunners with nine walks, but struck out eight times and didn’t have any extra-base hits.

Park (1-1) kept Rowan on top until he ran into control issues in the fourth. High Point bunched several hits and walks in that inning and took the lead.

Nate Greene followed Park to the mound and got seven outs. He struck out two and allowed one run.

High Point tacked on two runs in the seventh, one of them unearned, against Eli Graham.

“I probably should have made a move earlier to the bullpen, but we’re just about out of arms, and we’ve got too many games in a row coming up,” said acting head coach Seth Graham said. “We’re a few bullets short right now.”

Rowan is expected to get stronger soon, maybe as early as Monday, as it expects to get five players from East Rowan’s 3A state champions. Three of those Mustangs are position players who also are quality pitchers.

High Point (6-1) has won five in a row and is expected to be one of the best teams in Area III.

Rowan is scheduled to host the Wadesboro Post 446 Tigers on Monday night at 7 p.m.