By Thomas Grant Jr.
This past Saturday had three high school teams with state title aspirations.
Only Batesburg-Leesville baseball was able to fulfill those dreams and, in the process, end a championship drought of 76 years.
The Panthers defeated Phillip Simmons 8-5 in the deciding game of the Best-of-Three Class 2A final. It was played before 1,271 fans at Founders Park on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
Batesburg-Leesville dropped Game 1 5-3, before winning the next two games.
“These kids have battled all year,” Panthers head coach Rob Bouknight said. “They’ve been here since eighth graders. You know, words can’t put into what we’re feeling right now. We’re so happy and so blessed.”
The Iron Horses took a 1-0 lead in the Top 1st. Batesburg-Leesville responded with three runs in each of the next two innings.
Braydan Hallman led the Panthers with three RBI. On the mound, he allowed three runs and struck out nine in four innings before Landon Soper pitched the final three innings.
Hallman recorded the final out of the game on an infield popout.
Batesburg-Leesville finished the season 24-6-1.
LEXINGTON
Saturday at Riley Park saw what initially looked like another comeback win by the “Cardiac ‘Cats” of Lexington High School.
After rallying to take a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning against James Island, the Wildcats were three outs away from a second straight Class 5A title and first in the newly created Division I.
For the second time in the Best-of-Three series, however, Lexington found itself on the losing end of a walk off. The Trojans scored two runs in the Bottom 8th for the 6-5 victory.
“I didn’t have any great words,” an emotional Lexington head coach Brian Hucks said. “I told them they left this place better than they found it. That’s two extra inning losses in the state championship, man.”
Lexington fell behind 2-0 in the Bottom 1st. All-State infielder Taj Marchant had an RBI fielder’s choice and James Island capitalized off two hit batsman by Wildcat starter Reidar Carlson for the second run on an RBI double.
The first of two unassisted double plays ended a Lexington threat in the Top 2nd. James Island then scored a run off one of four Wildcat errors to take a 3-0 lead.
Lexington began its comeback in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, University of South Carolina signee Brandon Cromer singled to score Bryce Mobley.
After Lincoln Hill followed Logan Blight in getting hit by a pitch, he scored pinch runner Jones Bell to bring Lexington within 3-2.
Jake Epps relieved Carlson with two outs in the Bottom 6th. He gave up a walk to load the bases and hit James Island starter Collin Anderson to score a run.
A leadoff double by Graham Coleman in the Top 7th gave hope to the Blue and Gold garbed Lexington faithful in the stands. A walk by Jonathan Waldrop and Bryce Mobley reaching after getting hit loaded the bases with one out.
Toby Sobieralski lined out to second base for the first out. Christian Spivey drew a walk which led to a pitching change by James Island to Marchant.
He struck out Cromer but walked Hill to bring in the tying run.
James Island threatened in the Bottom 7th with runners on first and second with one out. Epps retired the next two batters to force extra innings.
Lexington once again loaded the bases in the Top 8th. It was also a repeat of the previous inning in which the Wildcats managed just one run off a sacrifice fly by Sobieralski.
A hit batsman by Epps got James Island a baserunner to open the Bottom 8th. Brayden Studebaker replaced Epps on the mound looking to preserve the lead.
After a sacrifice bunt, the Trojans tied the game on Anderson’s RBI double. Another walk set the stage for Amman to earn James Island a fourth state title with the walk off RBI single to leftfield.
“I just hate it like heck for the seniors because they mean the world to us. To be beat down like we were, to fight back, things were going wrong and get us back in the game. That’s a heck of a baseball team over there. You have to tip your cap to them. They were one run better than us twice in the championship games. I think being the home team was so big in a game like this and them winning the toss at the last at-bat was the difference.”
Lexington finished the season with a 22-11-1 record.
SALUDA
The Lady Tigers entered Saturday needing a victory against East Clarendon to force a deciding game in the Class 2A softball final.
Despite homefield advantage in Game 2, the Lady Tigers fell 5-3 to finish state runner-up in their first-ever final appearance.
The Lady Wolverines led the entire game. They scored two runs in the first and held Saluda to just an RBI double by Nyla Jordan in the Bottom 3rd.
Down 5-1 in the seventh inning, the Lady Tigers mounted a final comeback. With two outs, Miller Martin reached base on an error.
Karen Almarez followed with a 2-run homer to keep Saluda’s hopes alive. Jayme Sheaffer ended the game with a popout.
Saluda finished the season 26-5.
