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Horne, Lane's 3-run homer power Red Raiders
BELMONT - For much of his career, South Point senior left-hander Zach Horne has shut down opponents with uncanny effectiveness. Horne was at it again Friday as he began his final playoff run in the Red Raiders' 4-3 Class 3A first-round victory over North Buncombe.
Horne limited the visiting Hawks to four hits and two walks while striking out 12 to improve his seasonal record to 8-3. He was supported by fellow senior Chris Lane's three-run homer and freshman Jordan Edgerton's RBI single that broke a scoreless tie in the third inning.
South Point's reward is a chance to avenge a second-round playoff loss from a year ago. The Red Raiders (15-9) lost 11-0 in mercy-rule-shortened five-inning game at St. Stephens in the second round of the 2007 playoffs. This year, St. Stephens will be coming to South Point Tuesday night at 7 p.m. after the Indians (19-7) dispatched Reagan 9-5 in their first-round game on Friday.
"We didn't particularly swing the bat well," said South Point coach Jason Lineberger, whose team was Big South 3A/4A Conference co-champion and won the No. 1 Class 3A playoff seed in a postseason coin flip. "But we did enough to win. That four-run inning really helped."
It came against North Buncombe right-hander Cody Geyer and began when Nick Demarsico drew a one-out walk. After courtesy runner Spencer Wiles replaced Demarsico on first, he stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored onn Edgerton's single center against a drawn-in infield.
Lane made it 4-0 three batters later with a two-out three-run homer to right field.
"The coaches told us they were a good-hitting team, so I just tried to keep them off the board as much as possible," said Horne, a Belmont Abbey recruit. "That four-run inning really helped."
It also was enough for Horne to stave off the Hawks (14-9), who scored on Geyer's two-run homer in the fourth and on an unearned run in the sixth.
Horne struck out the side in the seventh to close out the victory and advance South Point to the second round of the playoffs for the 14th time in the 40-year-old school's 23 postseason appearances.
"Horne's a helluva pitcher," North Buncombe coach Rick High said. "He proved in the top of the seventh. We didn't sniff at it."
The final inning marked the fourth time in seven innings Horne retired the Hawks in order.
Lane had two of South Point's hits and Geyer had two of North Buncombe's hits.
NB 000 201 0 - 3 4 0
SP 004 000 x - 4 6 1
W - Zach Horne (8-3). L - Cody Geyer (7-3). HRs - SP, Chris Lane.
