Matthew Kahn has been a revelation for Cedar Ridge’s push to its best record in 12 years, and he showed why on Wednesday.
Kahn, a sophomore, delivered a two-run triple, which proved to be the knockout blow during a six-run sixth inning as Cedar Ridge defeated Southern Alamance 10-2 in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs in Hillsborough.
The Red Wolves are now 18-5. They will face Terry Sanford in Fayetteville on Saturday at noon in the 2nd round.
Junior pitcher Phil Berger earned the win, though he was limited to three-and-a-third innings. Berger improved to 6-2 by giving up two runs off three hits. Kahn came in during the fourth inning and took the save by throwing three-and-two-thirds shutout innings. He allowed one hit and two walks for his first varsity save.
It’s the 2nd straight year where Cedar Ridge has won a playoff game. Last year, the Red Wolves defeated Nash Central in the opening round before losing to Eastern Alamance 3-0 in the 2nd round.
As anticimatic as the game ended, it certainly didn’t start that way. Southern Alamance (17-10) scored its only runs in the first inning. Cole Greyson lined the game’s second pitch to centerfield. Junior Kaleb Potts got on board after a dropped pop-up. Amren Strigo loaded the bases after a line drive single to left. Junior catcher Austin Gilley grounded into a fielder’s choice to Jake DeFranco, bringing in Greyson. Potts scored off another RBI groundout by Scottie Thompson.
Cedar Ridge scored the game’s final ten runs, starting in the bottom of the first when Chris Cox doubled to the left field gap to plate Berger, who led off the frame with a single.
The Red Wolves took the lead with a pair in the 2nd. Erik Zehnder led off with a double to centerfield. Zehnder was thrown out at the plate trying to score off a grounder by Cooper Lamb. With two out, Adam Chnupa singled to right, sending Lamb to third. Jake DeFranco sent a grounder to Thompson, the pitcher, who threw it away, allowing Lamb and Chnupa to score.
In the fourth, Dante DeFranco sent a one-out single to left, and Cox followed with another single. Sailor Ramos got his team-leading 23rd RBI of the year with a liner to left, bringing in DeFranco and increasing Cedar Ridge’s lead to 4-2.
During Cedar Ridge’s sixth, Jake DeFranco walked, and Berger doubled. Dante DeFranco slammed another double to right to score Jake. Ramos added two more RBIs to his total with a line drive double to left. Lamb hit a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Kahn to tag up.
On Saturday, Cedar Ridge will play to get into the third round of the state playoffs for the first time since 2006.