Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

SOUTH POINT — If pitching and defense are the keys to winning, the Chesapeake Panthers may decide to make duplicate keys.

Behind the pitching of Bryce Depriest and Casey McComas and no errors, the Panthers edged the South Point Pointers 2-0 on Saturday in the Division III sectional finals.

“When the offense is bad, the pitching and defense better be good and it was,” said Panthers’ coach Justin Davis. “That’s how we win games. It was stressful game, but it’s the type of game that’s fun to win.”

Depriest went 3.1 innings, struck out two, walked two and gave up five hits. McComas went 3.2 innings and got the win as he struck out two, walked none and allowed three hits.

Chesapeake (12-12) will play Adena at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the district semifinals at Chillicothe Paint Stadium.

Logan Wade pitched a complete game one-hitter despite taking the loss. He struck out nine, walked four and hit a batter for the Pointers who finish 18-8.

“Wade pitched a good game tossing a one-hitter. We had the bad second inning and that was it,” said Pointers’ coach Larry Goodwin.

“We could not get the timely hits we needed. We had plenty of chances to score. We had bases loaded twice and runners on in other innings. We left eight on base.”

The game’s only runs scored in the second.

Austin Browning led off with a walk, Tyler Eddy was hit by a pitch and an error sent Browning to third.

Browning scored on a wild pitch and Depriest followed with a base hit to score Eddy.

The Pointers loaded the bases twice in the fourth and sixth innings but failed to score.

“Evan Burcham made two great plays at shortstop that saved us,” said Davis. “Wade threw a great game. We only had one hit.”

In the fourth, Travis Dillon and Douglas Shaffer singled and Max Tabor walked to load the bases with one out for the Pointers. But McComas came on to retire the next two batters on a fly out and force play.

South Point got singles by Dillon, Tabor and Drew Smith to load the bases with two outs only to have McComas strike out the next batter to end the threat.

The Pointers had eight hits with Dillon and Tabor each going 2-3.

Chesapeake     020      000      0          =          2          1          0

South Point     000      000      0          =          0          8          1

Bryce Depriest, Casey McComas (4) and Dalton Nida. Logan Wade and Max Tabor. W-McComas (IP-3.2, H-3, K-2, BB-0). Depriest (IP-3.1, H-5, K-2, BB-2). L-Wade (K-9, BB-4, HBP-1, ER-1). Hitting-Chesy: Bryce Depriest 1-2; SP: Tanner Hall 1-3, Brody Blackwell 1-3, Travis Dillon 2-3, Douglas Shaffer 1-3, Max Tabor 2-3, Drew Smith 1-3.