BURKE BUMMER: Post 21 ahead 3-0 with 3 outs to get when rain forces do-over

Game will start over Friday at 2 p.m.

Area IV all-star game cancelled

For the second time in three years due to wet summers forcing numerous postponed games, Area IV was forced to cancel its All-Star Game. The contest had been slated for Sunday...

Area IV all-star game cancelled

For the second time in three years due to wet summers forcing numerous postponed games, Area IV was forced to cancel its All-Star Game. The contest had been slated for Sunday in Hickory.

Too many teams were forced to move games back to Sunday, the final day of regular-season action, to play the game. All regular-season games must be played by Sunday since the first round of the Area IV playoffs start early next week.

The game was also cancelled in 2009.

- Staff reports

By: KEVIN CARVER | The News Herald | Morganton News Herald
Published: June 23, 2011

FOREST CITY --

Everything was going the way of Burke County Post 21 in Wednesday night’s American Legion baseball game on the road.

Until wet weather hit.

A driving rainstorm took over Rutherford County Post 423’s McNair Field with Burke up 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Post 21 (6-8, 5-8 Area IV West) only needed three outs to make it an official contest, but Mother Nature wouldn’t allow such to happen.

The game will now start over from the first inning at 2 p.m. today at McNair Field.

Post 21 left-handed starting pitcher Justin O’Dear was fantastic in four innings of work. O’Dear yielded only one base hit up the middle to Post 423’s Danny Fraga in the bottom of the first inning.

From there, O’Dear registered five strikeouts while walking five. O’Dear walked the last two batters faced with winds in excess of 50 mph as heavy rain fell sideways out of the sky.

Offensively, Brent Rowe (walk) scored on an RBI groundout by Cameron Waters in the second to take a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, after Taylor Powell and Tyler Hopkins drew walks, Donnie Hughes blasted a two-RBI double into the left-center field gap for a 3-0 lead. However, the floodgates opened with precipitation before they could finish up.

While Burke was fortunate to have an open date on Friday so that the two teams could reschedule, Rutherford County (5-7) is in quite a jam this week. The team will play a doubleheader today, hosting Caldwell County Post 29 at 7 p.m. after the conclusion of the Burke County game on Friday.

On Thursday, Post 423 changed venues to R-S Central for a game with Alexander County Post 170, and then following today’s doubleheader, they play at Shelby on Saturday afternoon to try and get all of their games in. Post 423 had already played a split road-home afternoon-evening double dip on Tuesday of this week.