Eli Graham. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers

 

Staff report

SALISBURY — For fans of quick baseball games, Friday’s Rowan County American Legion game was ideal, clocking in at just 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Rowan won the division game against Kannapolis, 2-0, behind the stout pitching of Brant Graham (2-0) and Carter Durant, who earned his first save.

Graham struck out a season-high six. He was efficient, especially in the fourth inning when he got three outs on five pitches.

It was the second shutout of the season for Rowan’s pitching staff. Kannapolis (4-6, 0-4) got only two hits.

Most of the drama developed in the top of the sixth when Kannap9lis got two baserunners against Graham on a hit batsman and his only walk of the night.

Durant relieved at that point and made things really interesting with a wild pitch that moved the potential tying runs to second and third. But Durant calmly got the next two hitters out on a fly ball to right fielder Cole Blevins and a ground ball to first baseman Luke Ponczka.

Rowan (7-4, 1-1) scored its runs against Will Hollmeyer (West Cabarrus) in the second inning. Hits by Cole Hales, Cam Williamson and Eli Graham filled the bases. Blevins singled home a run, and Marshall Faw got the second run home when he rapped into a fielder’s choice.

Zach Barham and Jackson Lancaster had hits for Kannapolis. Barham got the first hit for Kannapolis with one out in the third inning.

Eli Graham had two hits for Rowan. Blevins, Faw, Durant, Ponczka, Hales and Williamson managed one each, but Hollmeyer was tough and had 1-2-3 innings in the third and sixth.

The teams will play again on Saturday night, with the venue shifting to Kannapolis’ home field at Northwest Cabarrus.