South Pointe sets sights on Region 3-3A baseball title after win over Lancaster

A six-run inning propelled South Pointe to a 9-3 baseball road win over Lancaster Tuesday night at Doomsday Corner.

South Pointe dropped its first meeting of the season with Lancaster, coughing up a late 3-1 lead in a seventh inning collapse. Eager to avoid a repeat, the Stallions (9-4, 5-2 Region 3-3A) built a six-run lead and held on comfortably to move two games ahead of the Bruins in second place in the region.

Clinton is 6-0 and leads the league, but after Tuesday night’s win, South Pointe coach Joel Taylor was talking about reeling in the Red Devils to try and win the region. The Stallions host Clinton in their second meeting, and though South Pointe would need some help from other region teams, the win over Lancaster showed it can take care of business when necessary.

“We’re scrappy; that’s who we are,” said Taylor. “We kind of gnaw at your heel a little bit and win some ballgames. I’m very proud of this group; good kids.”

Turning point

The game changed in the fourth inning when the Stallions pushed six runs across to break open a close contest. South Pointe had only mustered three base runners up to that point, but the third, Bo Taylor, who reached on an RBI triple in the bottom of the third, seemed to foreshadow the offensive eruption in the next frame.

Stephen Thompson and Spencer Bala both singled before Will Dunn singled off the end of his bat to score a run and put the Stallions in front, 2-1. A balk scored another run and Dez Good’s RBI single and Jake Kern’s shot into left field that was dropped scored two more to push the lead to 6-1. Taylor was intentionally walked but another error meant South Pointe tacked on another run for a 7-1 lead that whooshed the wind right out of Lancaster’s sails.

“It snowballed,” said Taylor. “We knew this was a big game for both of us.”

Critical

Sure, Lancaster was sloppy fielding the ball Tuesday night, but the Stallions still had to take advantage of the miscues.

“That’s what I was just telling the kids, we put the ball in play, hit the ball, good things are gonna happen,” said Taylor.

Star contributors

It was a nice game for junior Dez Good, who made solid contact with the ball in three of his four at-bats, with the fourth plate appearance ending with a pitch clattering him in the head. Catcher Bo Taylor - committed to Coastal Carolina - also had a good game for the Stallions, smashing an RBI triple, drawing an intentional walk and also producing a clean defensive performance behind the plate.

Daniel Lipe went the distance pitching for the Stallions, allowing three runs on eight hits, while walking four and striking out five. It wasn’t the little right-hander’s best outing, but was more than enough on a night when the South Pointe bats were pinging.

“Lipe’s a bulldog on the mound,” said Taylor. “He pitched to contact. When he got into trouble, I thought he was trying to overthrow. And he got out of it.”

On deck

South Pointe faces Northwestern Wednesday night, the Stallions’ third game in as many nights after beating Rock Hill on Monday. South Pointe is on spring break next week so the Stallions don’t play a Region 3-3A game for another week and half.

Box score

South Pointe 9, Lancaster 3

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 11:59 PM with the headline "South Pointe sets sights on Region 3-3A baseball title after win over Lancaster."