Tiger's 'Horner' in on win in Galena

It was payback time for Douglas High's baseball team.

After losing twice to Galena in last year's 4A regional playoffs, the Tigers rode the hitting and pitching of right-hander Chris Honer to an easy 9-1 win Wednesday at Ron McNutt Field.

The Tigers, who scored four in the first inning, will face Reed tonight at 6 at Carson High. Galena will face Wooster at 3 p.m.

Honer allowed only three his in his route-going effort. He retired the first eight and the last eight batters of the game. He helped himself at the plate with a run-scoring single, a solo homer and a sacrifice fly in his first three at-bats.

"It (last year) motivated us," Honer said. "They beat us last year and the year before. Last year they beat us twice. It was good to come out and beat them.

"My curve was dropping pretty well. I was getting it over more than I usually do. It was good that we were able to score all those runs (early)."

Douglas coach John Glover was impressed with the way Honer was able to rebound from a poor effort last Saturday where he lasted just two innings.

"He threw good," Glover said. "Coming off Saturday where he gave up seven runs in two innings, he bounced back well. His ball (against Carson) was up and they flat out hit him. I haven't seen that very often. He got one fastball up to (Frank) Kurnik today, and he's a good hitter. He made a mistake to Kurnik, and Kurnik hammered it."

Honer got plenty of support from his teammates, who pounded Galena ace Rod Scurry for eight runs and 10 hits in the first four innings. Four of those runs came in the first when the Tigers put on a two-out hitting clinic.

Bryan Miller singled to left and came all the way around to score on Brandon Huff's double into the left-field corner. Honer followed with a bloop single to short right field, scoring Huff to make it 2-0. Honer moved to third on Jimmy Pierce's ground ball between first and second and scored on a wild pitch. Pierce scored the final run of the inning on Kyle Luken's hard single back up the middle.

"He (Scurry) was just up," Galena coach Gary McNamara said. "His command of the fastball wasn't there today. Unfortunately, this was the first time he hasn't thrown very well, and the offense wasn't there to pick him up."

Honer made it 5-0 in the third when he slammed a two-out fastball over the fence in right. It was icing on the cake.

"The wind blows out pretty good here, better than anywhere else," Honer said.

Galena scored its only run in the fourth when Frank Kurnik hammered a homer to left field to make it 5-1. Honer retired 11 of the last 12 to finish the game.

"One of the things is that Douglas jumped us early," McNamara said. "They got four early, and facing one of their best pitchers, we were never able to get into a rhythm.

"We need to be in a close game and create pressure. Down 5-0, we had no opportunities. Chris (Honer) took it over."

Notes: Eight of the nine starters collected hits with Miller, Huff and Honer leading the way with two apiece ... Glover said he was unsure of today's starter. He will choose between Huff, Miller and Tyson Estes, who threw well in relief last week against Carson.

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281.