Staff report

SALISBURY — Maryland’s St. Mary’s Post 255 has been on the Rowan County American Legion schedule for several years, basically walk-in-the-park romps for the home team at Newman Park.

But St.Mary’s is more experienced now, and Rowan is less powerful than it sometimes is, and Friday’s game was a struggle. Rowan pulled it out 6-4 with Logan Dyer’s sixth-inning triple providing the decisive blow.

It looked like it would be easy early. Rowan (9-9) scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning for a 4-1 lead. Dyer, Luke Graham, Elijah Palmer and Drew Burton had hits, and two HBPs were helpful.

Burton pitched well. Rowan still had that 4-1 lead after four innings.

Joe Burleyson relieved Burton, allowed a run in the fifth and ran into more trouble in the top of the sixth. Nate Hayworth (2-0) relieved Burleyson with two men on base, and a two-run triple — Brant Graham tried to make a diving catch on a sinking liner — tied the game at 4-all.

But Rowan pulled it out. Burleyson doubled to start the bottom of the sixth, and Dyer clobbered a tiebreaking triple for a 5-4 lead. With two out, Hayworth walked. When Hayworth took off to steal second, the catcher’s throw got away, and Dyer scored from third to make it 6-4.

Hayworth finished it off with a strong seventh.

Rowan will play twice against out-of-state teams on Saturday, with games at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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St. Mary’s has brought two different teams to North Carolina. The other one won 4-2 against Morgantown, W. Va., on Friday.

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Kannapolis got strong pitching from Will Hollmeyer and Gage Trexler and beat Fort Mill, S.C., 3-2 on Friday.

Conner Coy and Blake Gaffney had two hits. Gaffney had two RBIs, and Coy scored on a passed ball.