Staff report

ASHEBORO —  Like the Energizer Bunny in the old commercials, Randolph County’s fifth inning just kept going and going and going.

Going, going, going until Rowan County was gone.

Randolph’s seven-run fifth made the difference as the home team shelled Rowan 14-6 in an American Legion baseball game at McCrary Park.

Playing for the fourth night in a row, Rowan County went into Monday’s non-division contest with a committee approach on the mound.

It wasn’t overly successful. Five Rowan hurlers were assaulted steadily from the third inning on. Randolph (12-2) banged out 19 hits while making 18 outs, including five hits by veteran Blake Marsh. Randolph used that offensive onslaught to avenge an early-season loss to Rowan (5-3).

Rowan starting pitcher Zander Burton put zeroes on the scoreboard in the first two innings, but he ran into trouble in the third. Peyton Summerall, Aiden Schenck (0-1), Charlie Klingler and Mattox Henderson also took the mound for Rowan. Henderson recorded Rowan’s first strikeout in the sixth.

Schenck was on the mound in the bottom of the fifth with a 6-5 lead. Randolph put two men on against him, and Klingler was the surprise relief pitcher. He threw strikes — but Randolph hit them. Pinch-hitter Alex Martinez produced the game-tying single. Lead-off man Tatum Marsh followed with the hit that put Randolph Post 45 on top to stay.

Offensively, Rowan was good enough to win most nights.

Klingler sparked a two-run first inning with a lead-off triple. CP Pyle and Henderson had RBIs in the first inning as Rowan took a 2-0 lead.

Rowan went up 4-0 in the top of the third on a two-out, two-run single by Austin Fulk.

With Rowan down 5-4 in the fifth, Fulk came through again with another two-out, two-run single for a 6-5 lead.

Dylan Driver went 3-for-3 for Rowan, stole three bases and scored twice to lead Rowan’s 11-hit attack. Pyle and Fulk had two hits each. Logan Rogers had a booming double.

Harris Jackson was the winning pitcher in relief. A Catawba College player, he also had three hits and a sac fly.

Rowan gets to rest tonight and heads to Mooresville on Wednesday for a division game. High Point visits Staton Field on Thursday.

 

Rowan              202    020   0   — 6   11

Randolph         002    372   x  — 14   19

W — Jackson. L — Schenck (0-1).

HR — None.