Staff report

LANDIS — South Rowan’s baseball team overpowered South Stanly 13-4 on Wednesday for Thad Chrismon’s 200th win as the Raiders’ head coach.

South Rowan scored six runs in the fourth.

Cole Thomas relieved in the first inning and went the rest of the way on the mound. Thomas stuck out eight, allowing one walk and three hits. He allowed two runs, both unearned.

Ty Hubbard went 3-for-3 with four RBIs for South Rowan (18-4). Hubbard had two-run singles in the third and fourth innings.

Carson Crainshaw had three RBIs, including a two-run single. JD James had a triple and two RBIs.  Jacob Ritchie had a run-scoring double and drove in two runs. Nathan Chrismon stole four bases and scored three runs. Kane Kepley scored two runs.

South Rowan stole nine bases at the top of the lineup and continued one of the best seasons in school history.

Thad Chrismon  (200-130) took the reins as head coach for the 2009 season. His first team went 7-16 and tied for ninth in the conference standings, but the only other losing seasons he’s had were in 2011 and 2018.

COVID halted South’s 2020 season after five games, but the Raiders finished the shortened 2021 season strong with a conference tournament championship and two playoff victories in 2A and have continued to prosper this season in one of the state’s top 3A leagues.

South went 22-7 in 2014. The school record for wins in a season is 23 and was set in 1996 by a team coached by Dwayne Fink.

The current South team has a good shot at that long-standing mark, with the conference tournament and 3A state playoffs still ahead.

MaxPreps ranks South second in 3A West behind South Piedmont Conference rival East Rowan.

The NCHSAA’s RPI rankings, which give great weight to strength of schedule, also have East first and South second.

South and East split their two meetings and go into tonight’s regular-season finales tied for first place in the SPC at 12-1.

East is at home against Northwest Cabarrus, while South is home against West Rowan.

 

HS baseball coaching wins

Rowan County
Chris Cauble, West and Carson 407
Bill Kesler, North 295
Brian Hightower, East 287
Jeff Safrit, East 225
Phil Harbinson, East 215
Tom Sexton, Salisbury 212
Thad Chrismon, South 200
Ernie Faw, South 178
Scott Maddox, Salisbury 162
Bob Hundley, North 136
Gary Safrit, West 122
Seth Graham, West 121
Skip Kraft, West 100