American Heritage-Delray Shuts Down Oxbridge

After losing the bulk of last year’s starting nine to graduation and battling through a rebuilding season, the American Heritage Stallions found themselves in an unfamiliar position: somewhere other than the top of their district. But, when the 4A-6 playoffs opened with them in the third seed on Monday night, they looked right at home, handily defeating the Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves by a score of 5-0.

Leading the way for the Stallions was pitcher Justin Barney, who tossed a complete-game shutout. Barney, who boasted a 1.38 ERA coming into the game, allowed just four hits, with none of them coming in the same inning until the final frame. He walked two batters but more than made up for it with eight strike outs against a powerful Oxbridge lineup.

The Stallion’s offense helped their hurler out by scoring in all but two of their team at-bats.

Nathan Zuckerman singled and came around for the first of his two runs on a Jack Campbell RBI to initiate the scoring in the bottom of the first inning.

Oxbridge starter Zach Chivers held Heritage at bay through the next two innings but the Stallions went back to work in the fourth. Barney helped his cause by ripping a base hit back up the box. His courtesy runner, Noah Leon later scored on an error for a 2-0 lead. The Stallions tacked on two more unearned runs in the fifth to double the lead and another in the sixth to finalize the score.

The win sends Heritage to the district semifinals against King’s Academy on Tuesday night.

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