Two Close Losses Ends Season
Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 18, 2013
By Brian Pitts
Davie Enterprise Record
Mocksville Junior Legion baseball coach Robbie Fox flashed a big smile after a satisfying regular season that saw Post 54 share the division title and claim the No. 1 seed.
After the first-round series, Fox’s emotions were at the other end of the spectrum. He was hurt and upset and bitter. Mocksville was swept by Rowan in the best-of-three series.
A 6-4 loss in game one hurt more than most. There was a play in the Mocksville fifth that drew Fox’s ire.
The fifth started with Mocksville in a 5-1 hole. Jalen Scott sparked a three-run rally with a single. The next batter, Jake Barneycastle, bunted for a hit. Scott, Barneycastle and Tyler Cox came around to score.
Mocksville was primed to get a bunch more. The bases were loaded with no outs. Rowan was clinging to a 5-4 lead with Mitchell McGee at the plate. In Fox’s eyes, McGee fouled a pitch off his foot. The umpires saw it differently, telling Fox the ball did not touch McGee’s foot. The Rowan catcher tagged the runner from third and tagged McGee for a double play.
The rally ended when the next batter flew out.
“Mitchell hits a foul ball off his foot and the umpire doesn’t call it,” a seething Fox said. “Now it’s second and third with two outs. We were getting ready to bust it wide open.”
Mocksville only managed four hits, but a Rowan reliever gave …