The opening contest of a best‑of‑three playoff series between Rowan County’s American Legion team and Hamlet turned into a marathon of clutch hitting and relentless pitching, ultimately stretching to ten innings before a walk‑off run sealed a 6‑5 win for the Southern Division’s top seed.
Early fireworks and a pitching duel
Hamlet struck first, plating two runs in the top of the first inning off Rowan’s right‑hander Kendal Sifford. The early onslaught set the tone, but Rowan answered in the bottom of the fourth with RBI singles from Carter Durant and Luke Ponczka that knotted the game at 2‑all.
Both teams then turned to their aces. Rowan’s lefty Jacob Prevette and Hamlet’s starter Evan Hodges locked horns, each silencing the opposition through five innings of steady work. The deadlock persisted until the eighth inning, when Caden Nolan’s solo homer gave Hamlet a 3‑2 edge.
Rowan’s eighth‑inning response
Cole Blevins answered the challenge with an opposite‑field homer of his own, tying the contest at 3‑all and shifting momentum back toward the Southern Division leaders. The hit was part of a multi‑hit night that also featured a double and a single, underscoring Blevins’ pivotal role in the offense.
Hamlet refused to fold, scoring twice in the tenth inning to push the lead to 5‑3. Rowan, however, was not finished. Maddox Moore delivered a line‑drive single that scored Blevins, cutting the margin to 5‑4, and later crossed home plate on an error that produced the tying run, forcing the game into a dramatic finish.
The bottom of the tenth became a showcase for resilience. Moore’s single sparked the rally, and a subsequent error allowed him to score the walk‑off run, delivering a 6‑5 victory that sent the crowd into celebration. Ponczka earned the win, improving to 4‑0, while Blevins finished with a homer, a double, a single and three runs scored.
Standout performances and what’s next
Beyond the box score, the game highlighted several key contributors: Jayven Parks collected two of Rowan’s seven hits, while Drew Walls, Brant Graham, Jabari Douglas and Maddox Locklear each added their part to the offensive effort. With the series now poised at 1‑0, Rowan will aim to close it out on Sunday, hoping to ride the momentum generated by Blevins’ bat and Moore’s clutch baserunning.