Rowan County Legion Now One Win From States
July 23rd, 2007 Posted in American Legion baseball
Photo: Kernersville Legion’s Stewart Wright after home run; 7/23 at Newman Field
Photo: two more runs for Rowan Legion; 7/23 at Newman Field
Rowan Legion (photos, videos) defeated Kernersville Legion (photos) tonight at Newman Park by a final score of 12 - 3 to take a 3 - 0 playoff series advantage, and move within one victory of representing Area III in the state championship playoffs for the first time since 2002. The state playoffs feature the top eight teams in the state that emerge from the regional playoffs in each of NC American Legion’s four geographic areas.
Rowan took early leads of 3 - 0 and 8 - 1, with contributions up and down the lineup and Lee Dupree (player of the game) pitching very well. Justin Roland, Micah Jarrett, Jacob Dobbins, and Just Mock each had two hits, and Jarrett stole home for Rowan’s eighth run.
In the top of the sixth, Kernersville pulled to within 8 - 3. David Martin reached on an infield single and Brandon McKinney doubled, putting runners at second and third with no outs, and the middle of the order coming up. Kernersville plated both runners on RBI ground outs from Josh Weaver and Stewart Wright, but those two outs stalled Kernersville’s best chance for a big inning. Wright had earlier homered and had three hits and two RBI on the night.
Rowan pulled away from there, starting by getting both runs right back in the seventh when Jason Ridenhour singled in Kesler and Cranford, extending the lead to 10 - 3, and then tacking on their two final runs in the eighth.
After the game, Coach Gantt discussed the game and his outlook for game four in Kernersville:
Coach Gantt interview
Game four tomorrow night will likely feature a pitching match up of Wake Forest bound Eli Robins for Kernersville and Weston Church for Rowan. If Rowan wins game four, they will enter the state playoffs without dropping a game in Area III playoff competition, sweeping three consecutive series.
