PORTSMOUTH — The wooden bats were the focus but the pitching was the highlight.

Well-pitched games highlighted Saturday’s games at the Portsmouth Notre Dame Wooden Bat Classic.

South Point used the pitching of Jonathan Henline and Douglas Shaffer to edge the Rock Hill Redmen 3-2 in eight innings and spoil the work of Landon Smith and Nick Blankenship in the day’s first game.

South Point rallied in its second game to beat the Notre Dame Titans 5-1. Shaffer started and went six innings for the win.

Due to time constraints in the first game, the international tiebreaking rule was used in the ninth inning.

Max Tabor — who made the last out in the seventh — was placed on second base to start the eighth. Drake McClure reached on an error that scored Tabor.

South Point took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Henline walked, Travis Dillon reached on an error, Tabor walked and McClure grounded out to score Henline.

Rock Hill took the lead with two runs in the third.

Logan Hankins singled, stole second and went to third on Kaleb Kidd’s base hit. After Kidd stole second, Landon Smith had an RBI single and Kaden France grounded out to score a run.

South Point tied the game in the fifth on a single by Drew Smith, a passed ball, a sacrifice by Elijah Adams and Shaffer’s RBI ground out.

Henline went 7.2 innings, struck out one, walked six, gave up five hits and two earned runs. Shaffer worked one inning, struck out three and once one to get the win.

Nick Blankenship took the loss while Landon Smith went the first eight innings and struck out seven and walked four.

In the second game, Shaffer got the start and the win as he threw a two-hitter and the Pointers used a five-run sixth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit.

The game was scoreless until Notre Dame got a run in the fourth when Sam Kayser singled, Truman Hash sacrificed him to second and Tyler Speas reached on a two-out error that scored Kayser.

South Point answered with all five of its runs in the fifth against reliever Drew Cassidy.

Drew Smith singled and Elijah Adams walked to begin the inning. Shaffer reached on an error as Smith scored the tying run and Brody Blackwell was safe on an error to score Adams.

Logan Wade singled in a run and Ben Walls doubled in two more.

Smith was 2-3 and Walls 1-1 with a double and two RBI as the Pointers had six hits.

C.J. Corns started for Notre Dame and gave up only two hits in four innings. He struck out eight without a walk.

In Division III sectional tournament play at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, South Point hosts Fairland and Rock Hill entertains Crooksville.

 

FIRST GAME

South Point    010    010    001    =    3    4    3
Rock Hill    002    000    000    =    2    5    4
Jonathan Henline, Douglas Shaffer (9) and Max Tabor. Landon Smith, Nick Blankenship (9) and Kaleb Kidd. W-Shaffer (IP-1.0, K-3, BB-1). Henline (IP-7.2, H-5, R-2, ER-2, K-1, BB-6). L-Blankenship (IP-0.2, K-2, R-1, ER-0). Smith (IP-8.0, H-4, R-2, ER-0, K-7, BB-4). Hitting-SP: Douglas Shaffer 1-5 RBI, Jonathan Henline 1-3, Drew Smith 2-3; RH: Logan Hankins 2-3, Kaleb Kidd 1-3 Landon Smith 1-4 RBI, Kyle Stanfield 1-3.

SECOND GAME

South Point    000    050    =    5    6    1
Notre Dame    000    100    =    1    2    4
Douglas Shaffer and Max Tabor. C.J. Corns, Drew Cassidy (5) and Sam Kayser. W-Douglas (K-5, BB-2, ER-0). L-Cassidy IP-2.0, H-4, R-5, ER-3, K-2, BB-2). Corns (IP-4.0, H-2, K-8, BB-0). Hitting-SP: Brody Blackwell 1-4 RBI, Logan Wade 1-4 RBI, Jonathan Henline 1-2, Ben Walls 1-1 2B 2-RBI, Drew Smith 2-3; PND: Sam Kayser 1-2, C.J. Corns 1-2.