By: Evan Rogers

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — When the Salamanders welcomed the Morehead City Marlins to town, a berth into the Coastal Plain League’s postseason was on the line.

Holly Springs sat just two games out of first place and needed to win out — along with getting help from other CPL squads — to earn a spot. With a double header slated against the Marlins, the top team of the East Division, the Salamanders had an opportunistic chance to inch closer into the playoffs.

But, after surrendering a walk-off grand slam in the first game and dropping the night cap by nine runs, all seemed to be lost for Holly Springs. 

However, the Salamanders trekked on, winning their contest against the Martinsville Mustangs on Sunday, 14-7, to close out the CPL’s first half of the season.

“It’s always good to end the first half on a positive note,” head coach Brian Rountree said. “Yesterday was a tough day. My mom would say there’d be days like that, but the group is resilient and our bench is deep.”

Similar to Holly Springs’ two contests with the Marlins, Martinsville jumped out to an early lead. After surrendering two runs in the first frame, a fold from the Salamanders wouldn’t have been uncalled for. 

The team was fresh off possibly its worst day of the season, and Holly Springs’ bout against the Mustangs was somewhat meaningless, as neither team was contending for a playoff berth from their respective divisions. 

Rather than backing down, Holly Springs fought back. 

In the next inning, catcher Jack Roode launched a three-run bomb to right field to give the Salamanders their first lead of the night. Roode’s bomb was his first of the year — a mark his head coach couldn’t be prouder of.

“I told him when he came around third, ‘Jack it’s ok to smile,’” Rountree said. “I was excited for him. He’s a good kid that works hard.”

 Roode’s blast sparked Holly Springs’ barrels as the Salamanders would go on to plate runs in the next five frames. Roode, who drove in a team-high six runs, received help from his teammates.

Two frames after the catcher’s blast, right fielder Patrick Alvarez laced an RBI single into left field. Alvarez, a sophomore from UNC, had only played in two games for Holly Springs coming into Sunday’s contest, yet he’s already found a home with the Salamanders.

“We have a bunch of good guys and coaches, so it’s easy to come out here every day and have fun,” he said. “That just makes everybody play better.”

Along with Alvarez, center fielder Nathan Humphreys matched Roode with a three-run shot of his own — a 412-foot dinger that skyed out of Ting Stadium.

And, on a night where Holly Springs had every reason to back down and move on into the second half of the season, the Salamanders displayed a cohesive unity that Holly Springs believes can propel the team through any trial. 

“We’re a really tight group even though it hasn’t been that long,” Roode said. “When times aren’t the best, people are still having fun.”