NC: Crowd & Seniors Big for Raiders in Win

North Lincoln  3 South Rowan  7

PBR was part of an unbelievable crowd at South Rowan HS on Friday night as the Raiders hosted North Lincoln in the NCHSAA 3A West Semifinals.  A well-played, back and forth game, saw the Raiders move to 26-3 overall as they advance to the West Finals to face East Lincoln in a best of three this week.

North got on the board early as FR LHP Kellen Karr got a 2 out knock to give the Knights an early lead.  Karr then worked out of a runner on 3rd, no out, situation to give North Lincoln some early momentum.

South Rowan starter, SR RHP Carson Crainshaw settled in and tossed three consecutive zeroes to give his offense some time to settle in.  As the offense came around to the top of the order in the 3rd, it paid off.  Leadoff man Kane Kepley got the inning going with a walk, followed by a bunt single from Nathan Chrismon.  Both runners moved up on an error.  Kepley would score on a Tyler Hubbard ground out.  Chrismon would score on a Jacob Ritchie single.

North did not go quietly.  In the top of the 5th, they finally got some pressure on Crainshaw.  Singles from Reece Moody, Timmy Schafer, and Matt Heavner tied the game.  A single from Logan Sammons plated the go ahead run.  Heavner, a potential insurance run was cut down at the plate on a great throw from Kepley for the 2nd out of the inning.  Crainshaw would get a strikeout to end the threat. 

With one on in the top of the 6th, Chandler Oddie would relieve Crainshaw for South Rowan.  He quickly induced a thrilling double play where SS Nathan Chrismon came flying across the bag and had to bar hand the feed and throw in one motion to empty the bases.  Oddie quickly set down the 3rd out, setting the stage for the Raiders offense to go back to work.

Kellen Karr was fantastic at times, showing a ton of poise in a filled, and hostile stadium.  He ran out of gas in the 6th as he walked the 1st two hitters of the inning.  With Heavner in to relieve, the Raiders would load the bases on walks, still with no outs.  A wild pitch would bring in the tying run and move runners to 2B and 3B.  Kepley would single home two runs and advance to 2B on a play at the plate.  He scored one hitter later as Chrismon's single brought him home, making it 6-3.  Chrismon scored the final insurance run on a Ritchie single.

With the win, South Rowan advances to the 3A West Finals, where they will face East Lincoln in a best of three.  The winner of the East will face either South Brunswick or South Central out of the East.

East Lincoln Stats
+ Matt Heavner - 1-4, 1RBI
+ Logan Sammons - 1-3, 1RBI

+ Kellen Karr - 2-3, 1RBI

+ Reece Moody - 3-3, 1R

+ Timmy Schafer - 1-3, 1R
+ Kellen Karr - Loss, 5IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 5BB, 5K
+ Matt Heavner - 1IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 1K

South Rowan Stats
+ Kane Kepley - 2-3, 2R, 2RBI
+ Nathan Chrismon - 2-4, 2R, 1RBI

+ Jacob Ritchie - 2-4, 2RBI

+ Colton Fisher - 2-2, 1R
+ Carson Crainshaw - 5IP, 9H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 9K
+ Chandler Oddie - Win, 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K

SCOUT BLOG

Kane Kepley, OF, South Rowan HS, 2022
Liberty commit.  Table setter that is very competitive from the left side in the box.  Simple load and short stride.  Direct path with hand