Rowan County slugger Carter Durant. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers

Staff report

SALISBURY — Rowan County left fielder Marshal Faw turned and watched Matt Moser’s grand slam sail over his head and over the wall and Rowan fans watched a four-game winning streak go up in smoke on one swing.

Moser’s fifth-inning blast turned a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 lead for the visitors, and High Point Post 87 went on to beat Rowan 10-5 at Newman Park on Tuesday.

It was the last dress rehearsal, the last tuneup for Rowan County before it finally gets to start division play at Mooresville on Wednesday. There are 12 division games that count for playoff seeding. Rowan plays four each against Mooresville, Kannapolis and Concord.

Rowan had won the first four games of a five-game homestand, including three blowouts, before Tuesday’s setback.

High Point (3-3) beat Rowan (6-3) for the second time, adding to a 4-2 win at Finch Field.

Rowan’s No. 3 hitter Carter Durant doubled in the first, third and fifth innings but had zero RBIs, as three of his four plate appearances came with the bases empty. He was hit by a pitch in the sixth.

Durant drove two balls off the wall. The other double bounced off the wall.

Marshal Faw, who was batting seventh, had three singles before lining out in his last at-bat.

Chase Fisher banged a double off the wall.

Despite all the doubles, Rowan didn’t have its standard lineup punch, with sluggers Cole Blevins and Luke Ponczka away at the NC vs. SC Border Battle. Both are batting well over .500.

Rowan’s five runs all came in the third inning. Trailing 3-0 at that point, Brice Knox got a one-out infield hit, stole second and scored on a hit by Brant Graham. Durant’s second double put runners at second and third, and Graham scored Rowan’s second run on a wild pitch. After Drew Pegram walked, Fisher’s double tied the game at 3-all. Cam Williamson’s groundout plated a go-ahead run, and Faw’s RBI single put Rowan ahead 5-3.

But five wasn’t enough. Rowan couldn’t score again, leaving nine men on base.

On the mound, Connor Park battled through four innings and got some help from line drive-snagging infielders Durant and Eli Graham. All three runs Park allowed were unearned as High Point scored those three with two outs after an error had lengthened the top of the third.

Dylan Carter (0-1) hurled the fifth, his first pitching outing of the summer, and ran into immediate trouble, as a hit batsman and two singles preceded Moser’s fatal grand slam.

Cole Ludwick pitched the sixth. Knox pitched the seventh.

The 10 runs allowed were a season high for a Rowan pitching staff that generally has been quite good.

Kendal Sifford (2-0) has established himself as Rowan’s ace and will get the ball for the game against Mooresville on Wednesday. Mooresville owns two division wins against Kannapolis.  Mooresville is playing home games at Lake Norman High.