Buford High pitcher Jake Burnette, who has accepted a baseball scholarship with Georgia Tech, helped his own cause in the Class AA semifinals on Monday.
Burnette went to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning and drew a walk to tie the game, helping Buford to a 3-1 win over Appling County in the first game of the best-of-three series.
In the second game, Buford won 6-1 to sweep the series. Buford advances to play the Lovett-Pike County winner on Saturday for the state championship.
In completing the sweep, Buford pitcher Josh Heddinger, who has also signed with Georgia Tech, surrendered four hits and one unearned run over seven innings. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Heddinger topped out at 92 mph on Monday.
“The pitching was really impressive,” Buford coach Tony Wolfe said. “I hate how it sounds, but we’ve come to expect it. They are so good, and so committed to Buford baseball. We have come to expect great outings from them, and they certainly didn’t disappoint today.
Buford (29-3) has swept four straight rounds of the state playoffs.
In the opener, Burnette struck out 11 batters while scattering five hits and giving up one earned run over seven innings. The 6-4, 175-pound right-hander threw as hard as 92 mph on Monday.
Buford scored all of its runs in the fourth inning, helped by four consecutive walks to Mason Gentry, Heddinger, Adam Hampton and Burnette.
After Burnette walked for a 1-1 tie, James Nix lofted a sacrifice fly that drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run. Hampton later scored on a wild pitch.
Appling County’s only run came on a solo homer by Bryan Buxton in the top of the third inning.
Burnette is the younger brother of former Georgia Tech outfielder Chase Burnette, who plays in the minor leagues with the Cleveland Indians. The towering Burnette is a candidate for baseball’s June amateur draft.
“Jake is a tall, lanky right-hander that is really good but will get even better,” Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said earlier this year. “He also brings good blood-lines, being [Chase’s brother].”
Buford last won a state championship in 1977.
About the Author
