38 wins, 3 losses.

That’s what East Rowan and North Stanly’s combined records were entering a marquee Wednesday night non-conference matchup in Granite Quarry.

Only one team would walk away with its 20th win of the year, and six innings later the Mustangs made a statement to assure that it would be them.

Three runs in the first set the tone, and six in the sixth sent a packed crowd at Staton Field home early thanks to run rule aided 10-0 victory.

Logan Dyer and Braden Shive reached base to start the bottom of the first. Both scored a batter later when Cobb Hightower crushed ball to left center and motored around to third.

Hightower slid in safely on a wild pitch to Harrison Ailshie to give the Mustangs a 3-0 lead.

Catawba recurit Joe Burleyson used the early run support to his advantage as he tossed five shutout innings. He struck out seven, only allowed two hits, and scattered five walks.

East Rowan led 4-0 after three thanks to a two-out infield hit from Hightower, a stolen base, and an RBI single to right off the bat of McCall Henderson.

North Stanly had its best scoring chance of the night gunned down to end the fifth. A two out single to left was bobble by Shive just enough for the Comets to hesitate before scrambling to the plate. The perfect relay throw to Krystopher Hernandez ended the frame and closed out Burleyson’s night.

Mason Phelps tossed a scoreless top of the sixth for the Mustangs.

Four errors, a pair of walks, and a handful of wild pitches highlighted the game-ending six run inning.

Henderson secured the “walk-off” winner when he slammed a ball off of the second baseman’s glove allowing Shiver and Hightower to cross.

Dyer, Shive, and Hightower combined to score seven runs out of the top three spots in the order.

Now 20-1 overall East Rowan continues league play on Friday at home against Central Cabarrus. The Mustangs clinched the conference championship on Tuesday with a win at Concord.

North Stanly drops to 19-3 overall. They host Mount Pleasant on Friday.

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Source: highschoolot.com