By Thomas Grant Jr.
Lexington and Batesburg-Leesville bounced back from Game One losses at home Wednesday to force deciding games in their respective baseball finals.
The Wildcats defeated James Island 9-4 in Game Two of the Class 5A Division I final. Grant Kissner went 3-4 with four RBI and allowed five hits and struck out three in four innings on the mound.
Looking to continue the momentum from the 5-4 walk off win in Game One, the Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Lexington responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning with two outs.
Logan Blight put the Wildcats up with a 2-run double. Kissner followed with an RBI single and Graham Coleman had an RBI double.
RBI singles by Toby Sobieralski and Kissner in the second inning made it 7-1 in the second inning. After a home run by James Island’s Taj Marchant in the Top 3rd, Christian Spivey with a solo shot of his own followed by Kissner’s fourth RBI in the fourth inning.
The Trojans scored two runs off Jack Cooper in the sixth inning. Jake Epps entered the game with one out in the seventh and got the final two outs.
The deciding game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Riley Park in Sumter.
Batesburg-Leesville needed a late rally in the sixth inning to defeat Phillip Simmons 3-2 in Game Two of the Class 2A final.
The Iron Horses took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Starter Peirce Mullen held the Panthers scoreless through five innings.
Opposing pitcher Cade Bouknight struck out five innings and allowed just two hits over the next four shutout innings.
In the sixth inning, Batesburg-Leesville loaded the cases. Jack Bouknight tied the game with an RBI single; John Sawyer followed with a sacrifice fly and Tyler Kneece scored a run with a sacrifice bunt.
Braydon Hallman pitched a second inning of relief to close the game. He gave up a two-out RBI single to Charlie Helms but got Kyle Bachmann to line out to Tanner Watkins in centerfield to end the game.
The deciding game will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday at Founders Park on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
A third Lake Murray team, Saluda, opened the Class 2A softball final with a 2-1 loss at East Clarendon.
Nyla Jordan had the Lady Tigers’ lone run in the sixth inning on an RBI single. Saluda had baserunners on first and second with two outs, but Amy Sorcia struck out to end the game.
Game Two is set for 7 p.m. Thursday in Saluda. It’s the program’s first-ever home playoff game.
Photo by Lexingtonwildcats.com
