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Jr. Legion Rallies To Area III Title, Earns State Berth
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As the top seed, Mocksville hosted the four-team Area III Junior Legion baseball tournament. - Photo by James Barringer
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Rowan County, however, couldn’t find a way stop Mocksville with all the chips on the table.
With the tension incredible and the effort constant from the first pitch through the last swing, Mocksville overcame defensive and base-running mistakes by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to deny Rowan 3-2.
The thrilling win gave Mocksville (33-5) the Area III championship and the first of two berths to this week’s state tournament in Cherryville. Matt Leonard scored the clinching run when Rowan’s pitcher misjudged a mile-high, one-out popup by Jess Cartner. That touched off complete bedlam at home plate, with players leaping up and down and fans whooping and clapping madly.
“Oh my Lord. That was crazy,” said Jacob Vernon, who had the second of two clutch hits in the seventh. “We were frustrated because we’ve been working hard all summer and we didn’t want to come this far for nothing. I’ve lost to them every year I’ve been here, and this is so sweet. We’re going to Cherryville! We’re No. 1!”
“It was probably the most exciting moment of my life when Jess hit that popup a mile high in the air and they dropped it,” said winning pitcher Bret Peterson.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, and it’s that much better because it’s Rowan County,” said Zeb Cope, who tied the game at 2-2 with a laser single.
Charles Kurfees and Andrew Jones soaked up the postgame atmosphere, and what fun it was for them. They’ve been the coaches throughout Mocksville’s five-year history, and coming into 2007 Mocksville was 7-17 against Rowan County. The big rivals from across the Yadkin River has ended 11 of 26 Senior Legion seasons, and it ended Mocksville Junior Legion seasons in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Needless to say, Mocksville was fed up with losing to Rowan.
“You would have thought we won the World Series,” said Kurfees, wearing a big grin. “I got doused (by the water cooler). I’m proud to be apart of it. I hope our high-school program, our Jr. Legion program and our Sr. Legion program can build off of this, and guys can get recognized and start putting kids in college. That’s what it’s all about - helping these young men.”
In the first game of the tournament on July 19, third-seeded Rowan outlasted No. 2 Kernersville 12-6. In the ... subscribe to the Davie County Enterprise Record, P.O. Box 99, Mocksville, N.C. 27028.