Rowan Legion's Luke Ponczka

Staff report

SALISBURY — Corbin Hales got the start on the mound for the Rowan County American Legion baseball team on Friday.

He’s been in a slump at the plate, but Hales didn’t let that affect his pitching. It was nine up and nine down for Kannapolis in the first three innings, as Hales set the tone for a pretty solid 6-1 victory. Rowan (16-5, 7-2) played errorless ball behind Hales and two relievers.

Hales struck out three and threw 38 pitches. He allowed one hit, but that was just so he could work on his pickoff move. He quickly erased that base runner.

Chase Fisher pitched the fourth for Rowan and wasn’t as sharp as he usually is. He hit a batter and allowed a single and was fortunate to get the third out on a line drive to center field.

Fisher ran into more stress in the fifth when the first two men reached on a walk and a single. Marshal Faw relieved Fisher at that point, and Kannapolis scored its run (charged to Fisher) when Faw was greeted by a hit by Zach Barham, his high school teammate at South Rowan.

That was the key point in the game as Kannapolis had one run in and runners at second and third in a 3-1 game, but Faw got a strikeout, an infield pop and a fly ball to preserve the 3-1 lead. Faw (2-0) didn’t have much trouble in the sixth and seventh innings and closed it out.

Rowan didn’t knock down any fences, but Carter Durant’s triple keyed a two–run first inning that allowed Rowan to lead all the way.

Cam Williamson walked, went to third on Eli Graham’s hit-and-run single, and scored on hit by Gaige Scruggs to make it 3-0 in the fourth inning.

Then Rowan scored three in the bottom of the fifth to answer the Kannapolis run and get some breathing room. Knox got his second RBI of the night by beating the relay to first on a potential double-play grounder. Eli Graham got a run home with an infield hit. Scruggs accepted an HBP with the bases full for another run.

There were some defensive highlights, as Rowan right fielder Drew Pegram threw out a runner at second base to aid Faw. Brice Knox made strong plays at third base and in center field.

Barham made multiple running catches in left field for Kannapolis (6-11, 2-8).  Bryson Honeycutt had three hits. Tyler Kluttz and Drew Ryan weren’t bad on the mound. Ryan got Cole Blevins out with the bases loaded in the fifth when Rowan had a chance to make it a romp.

Rowan and Kannapolis were postponed on Saturday. They’re now scheduled to play Monday night. Kannapolis will be the home team on the scoreboard, but the game will be played at Newman Park.

Rowan also has two big ones coming up with Mooresville to close the regular season.