Staff report

SALISBURY — If the other guys don’t score, you can’t lose, so Rowan County is winning every time Brant Graham takes the mound.

Graham sparked Rowan to a 6-0 win over Mooresville on Wednesday, as Rowan (19-5, 10-2) clinched the division championship for head coach Seth Graham at Newman Park.

Mooresville (8-4, 8-4) finished second.

Brant Graham (4-0) did what he does — throwing five efficient innings with a lot of strikes on the corners and a lot of soft to medium contact. He allowed five hits, but walked only one and extended his scoreless inning streak to 23.1 and lowered his ERA from 0.29 to 0.24. He struck out three.

Rowan’s bullpen — Chase Fisher and Luke Ponczka — was able to complete the shutout with the help of a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth.

Rowan got a fast start with three runs in the bottom of the first. Cole Blevins singled and Marshal Faw walked to put Mooresville starter Abram Johnson in hot water right away. Carter Durant’s ninth double gave Rowan a run. Ponczka’s run-scoring groundout made it 2-0. Durant scored on a wild pitch for 3-0.

Rowan made it 4-0 in the second on two walks and Blevins’ line-drive sac fly, his 25th RBI of the summer.

Getting a start as the DH, Cam Williamson walked to start the third — one of his three walks — and advanced from second to third on a hit by Corbin Hales. When the throw from the outfield went through to the plate, Hales headed to second. The throw to second wasn’t in time to get Hales, and Williamson scampered home.

Rowan drew more walks for a run in the fourth. Gaige Scruggs singled to start the inning. Walks to Blevins and Faw filled the bases, and a walk to Durant forced home a run.

Durant is batting a team-best .449.

Rowan had only five hits, but drew nine walks. Several players are in mild batting slumps entering the playoffs, but everyone is getting on base at a solid rate.

Rowan has won 13 of its last 14 games.

The playoffs start Saturday. Rowan will entertain Kannapolis in the opening game of a best-of-three series. Mooresville will be at home against Concord to start their series.

Union County, High Point and Randolph County were the other division winners in Area III.

Aberdeen and Moore County did not qualify for the playoffs. Matthews won’t be in the playoffs, so Union County has a first-round bye.