Staff report

GRANITE QUARRY — Rowan County American Legion pitcher Chase Drinkard needed only four pitches to get Concord out in the top of the first inning, and his teammates scored seven runs in the bottom half.

It was basically over at that point.  Baseball will never get much easier than it was on Saturday at Staton Field where Rowan cruised 11-1 in five innings.

It was a piece of cake. As easy as pie. It was a breeze, a cinch, a snap.  It was a walk in the park. It was as easy as falling off a log.

No rocket science was required to figure out what was going to happen. Winless Concord was no-hit at home by Rowan on Friday.

Drinkard, a surprise ace this summer, probably could have gotten this one done in his sleep. He struck out five and allowed three hits, while boosting his record to 4-1.

Rowan (8-3, 6-0) clinched a tie for first in the division with the routine romp. Rowan will finish alone in first if it can win at Kannapolis on Monday or at Mocksville on Thursday.

Only the top two teams in each of the two divisions in Area 3 advance to the playoffs, so any drama left in the regular season probably is going to be squeezed out of the battle for second place in the Southern Division between Kannapolis (6-4, 3-2) and Mocksville (5-9, 4-2).

But the playoffs are expected to be a challenge for Rowan. Randolph County and High Point, the usual obstacles in Area 3, are strong.

Aiden Schenck and Jacob Causey drew bases-loaded walks to force home Rowan’s first two runs. The other five runs in the first were plated by two-out hits by Austin Fulk and Charlie Klingler.

Concord scored in the top of the second. Two of the visitors’ three hits came back-to-back, and Michael Rambin knocked in Sawyer Osborne, who tripled to lead off the inning.

Drinkard allowed just one infield hit the rest of the way.

Rowan made it 8-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Causey.

CP Pyle doubled off the fence to lead off the fourth and worked his way around to make it 9-1.

The game ended early via the 10-run rule in the bottom of the fifth when Rowan put together a walk and two singles with two Concord miscues.

Logan Rogers and Pyle (twice) just missed homers. First baseman Causey made a leaping catch.

Center fielder Richie Hunter made a fine grab for Concord to take a hit away from Fulk.

Rowan is off Sunday and heads to Kannapolis (at Northwest Cabarrus) on Monday.

 

Concord 010   00   —   1    3   4

Rowan    710    12    — 11   8    0

W — Drinkard (4-1). L — Ramblin.

HR — None.

 

Home games at Staton Field, 7 p.m.

July 12 — at Kannapolis

July 13 — at Greensboro

July 15 — at Mocksville

July 16 — Greensboro

July 17 — at High Point

July 20-22 Playoffs (Best-of-3 semifinals, North 1 vs, South 2 and South 1 vs. North 2)

July 24 — Area III championship game

July 27-Aug. 1 — State tournament, Cherryville

Aug. 3-8 — Mid-Atlantic Regional, Asheboro

Aug. 12-17 — World Series, Shelby