Slugger Luke Ponczka. Photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

By Mike London

Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — Rowan County’s American Legion team hadn’t homered at Newman Park all summer, but fans had not forgotten what a home run looked like and sounded like.

When Luke Ponczka, dubbed the “Big Bopper” by Rowan radio play-by-play man Ken Anderson, connected in the eighth inning late Tuesday night with two teammates on base, everyone in attendance knew what they were seeing. When Ponczka gets hold of one, there’s not much doubt about where it’s headed.

Ponczka’s titanic shot, his long-awaited first Legion homer, lifted Rowan to a 9-6 victory over Mooresville. It was the most important game of the year to date. It also was the longest game — finally ending at 11:15 p.m. — and arguably the most exciting game, at least in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Rowan (18-5, 9-2) moved a game ahead of Mooresville (8-3, 8-3) in the divisional standings, with one regular-season game left. That’s Mooresville at Rowan County on Wednesday night.

It was not a normal Tuesday. Mooresville was the home team as the game was moved from Mooresville’s home field at Lake Norman to Newman Park because of weather concerns. Weather did prove to be a factor, as the start was delayed an hour due to lightning, and there was some rain during the game.

Rowan got off to a super start in the top of the first against Mooresville pitcher Jay Brookshire. A walk and Carter Durant’s double set the stage for a run-scoring groundout by Drew Pegram and a two-run double by Ponczka, who would produce three hits and five RBIs, for a 3-0 lead.

When Kendal Sifford got Mooresville out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, Rowan was in charge and stayed that way for a long time.

Brookshire walked eight before he exited after three innings, but Rowan left the world on base and couldn’t put Mooresville away.

Sifford struck out five, didn’t allow any runs and got 14 outs before Corbin Hales came out of the bullpen to replace him with two outs in the Mooresville fifth.

Rowan finally put up another run in the top of the sixth. Durant got the RBI, and it was 4-0.

Mooresville coach Tom Pinkham was tossed by the umpiring crew as frustration mounted after Hales got a called strike three for the first out of the sixth.

That ejection inspired Mooresville’s team. Tanner Byrd’s two-run double cut Rowan’s lead in half, and then it got a lot worse for Durant (1-1), who had taken the mound to relieve Hales with two men on and two runs in. Xavier Burgess beat out an infield hit with the bases loaded to make it 4-3. Then Luke Modrak unloaded the bases with a three-run triple, and Rowan was suddenly in a 6-4 hole in a game it had led since the outset.

Rowan managed to tie the game with two runs in the top of the seventh. Dylan Carter’s bunt single that loaded the bases keyed the inning. Cam Williamson singled to left for 6-5, and Cole Blevins walked with the bases loaded for 6-6.

Rowan failed to push across a go-ahead run, but Durant got Mooresville out with no issues in the bottom of the inning, and the game moved to an eventful extra inning.

Brice Knox singled to start the Rowan eighth, and Gaige Scruggs got an infield single. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Mooresville brought the infield in with Ponczka striding to the plate,

The infield wasn’t a factor. It was 9-6 moments later.

After Ponczka’s blast, Rowan loaded the bases, but couldn’t tack on any more runs. Durant headed back to the mound to finish it.

He was not able to do that. Mooresville had the bases loaded with one out when Marshal Faw was called on for the save. Faw, who had been in the outfield, retired Modrak on a fly ball. Then Knox made a running catch in center for the final out of a wild game.