Rowan's Brice Knox (2) and Eli Graham. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers

Staff report

MOORESVILLE — The beginning was the end for Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team on Wednesday.

Rowan never recovered from a disastrous start, surrendered five runs in the first inning and lost 7-3 to Mooresville Post 66. It was the first division game of the summer for Rowan (6-4, 0-1). Mooresville (3-0, 3-0) had already won two division games against Kannapolis.

Kendal Sifford had been sharp in his first three outings for Rowan, but after he hit Mooresville leadoff batter Luke Modrak with a sailing fastball to start the bottom of the first, he never was able to find any rhythm.

Hit in the face, Modrak had to leave the contest, but his teammates picked him up.

Mooresville had the bases loaded after a walk and another HBP and got two runs on a ground ball up the middle off the bat of Southern Spence-Tilley, who played for Rowan last summer. The play was scored an error, but that only mattered statistically. Post 66 had two runs on the board after four batters.

Sifford (2-1) got the next two batters out and looked like he might survive the first inning and find his second wind, but Tanner Byrd rocked a three-run homer for a 5-0 Mooresville lead. That proved to be the swing of the night.

After two more Post 66 batters reached on a walk and an infield hit, Mooresville had batted around, and Rowan coach Seth Graham had to turn to the bullpen, Chase Fisher got the third out of that disastrous inning on a long fly ball.

Fisher’s night was brief. After Mooresville’s first two batters reached in the second inning. Rowan moved Marshal Faw from the left field to the mound, and Faw was able to settle things down with the aid of a 643 double play.

Rowan got back to 5-2 in the third on doubles by Cole Blevins and Faw, Carter Durant’s single, and a run-scoring fielder’s choice off the bat of Corbin Hales.

Rowan had a little momentum at that point, but Mooresville took it back by scoring two runs with two outs in the fourth for a 7-2 lead.

Jay Brookshire pitched five innings and struck out nine for Post 66.

Faw pitched four innings for Rowan, allowing two hits and one earned run.

Rowan had a good start to the sixth, finally getting Brookshire off the mound when Brant Graham walked and Brice Knox doubled, but reliever Caden Beaver limited Rowan to a single run on Gaige Scruggs’ sac fly.

Down 7-3 in the seventh, Rowan put two men on base on another double by Faw and Luke Ponczka’s second HBP, but Beaver got Hales to hit into a 5-3 double play to end the game.

Rowan was limited to seven hits, including three by Knox, who had two infield hits, and two doubles by Faw.

Rowan played six straight nights, but will get to rest on Thursday before taking on Kannapolis at Newman Park on Friday in a division game.