With added pressure on his shoulders, North Stanly baseball’s starting pitcher Rhett Lowder went out and delivered a strong performance Friday night in the rematch with South Stanly. The junior threw a one-hit complete-game shutout getting all the run support he needed in the first inning in a 1-0 home win.

North’s starter said he “knew going into both games that it was going to be a fight because it is always a very competitive game when North plays against South.”

The win for North (13-2, 10-1 YVC) came in response to Wednesday’s loss to the Bulls (9-7, 9-3) which ended a 10-game win streak for the Comets. North also played Friday night without head coach Will Davis and pitcher/infielder Drew Little, who both were ejected from the game at South. Neither will not be eligible until after Monday’s road game at Gray Stone with both serving the second of a two-game mandatory suspensions following an ejection.

Without Little or Coach Davis, Lowder said, “the whole team knew we couldn’t take them lightly. I was just trying my best to keep South off the base paths. With a 1-0 game, I knew I had to have my best stuff to keep us ahead and our defense made the crucial plays when we needed to.”

The North hurler fanned 14 batters and threw just 70 pitches in seven innings to earn the win on the mound.

Lowder said the pitching staff’s goals on the mound as a team are “to go out and throw strikes every night knowing we have a solid defense behind us. There isn’t much stress going into the games because on most nights I know our offense is going to produce giving me enough room to work on the mound stress-free.”

Even with the belief North’s offense will produce every night, Lowder added he “still has the mentality of trying to hold the other team to a zero every outing.”

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the first for North, as shortstop Carson Lowder walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball then scored on a Hunter Sells RBI single.

“It was a tough matchup with South as it always is; both teams are good and it’s always a good game,” Davis said about the win. “Rhett was very dominating and kept (the Bulls) off balance.”

Crafton Mansfield took the loss for South walking three and striking out three in 5.2 innings of work despite not allowing an earned run in the game.

The Comets are scheduled to host North Moore Tuesday and travel to North Moore Friday.

South has two non-conference home games this week as the Bulls host Charlotte Stampede Wednesday and Hickory Grove Christian on Thursday.