By Thomas Grant Jr.
The 11-year wait for state baseball title number seven ended Friday for Lexington High School.
The Wildcats completed a Best-of-3 series sweep of Ashley Ridge 3-1 in Summerville to win the Class 5A title. Its title is the first since 2013 for Lexington (, which finished the season going 8-0 in the playoffs and winning 19 of its last 20 games.
Photo by Caroline Hucks
It opened the state final series Thursday following an 8-day layoff the result of Summerville’s unsuccessful appeal of the forfeit loss to Ashley Ridge in the deciding game of the Lower State final.
The Wildcats came away with a 1-0 victory over the Swamp Foxes. It was a pitcher’s duel between Lexington’s Jackson Burton, who struck out six and allowed three hits, and Ashley Ridge’s Andrew McLaughlin, who fanned seven and gave up just two hits.
“He had to be perfect tonight, because McLaughlin’s incredible tonight on their side,” Lexington head coach Brian Hucks said. “I’m really proud of the effort. You give the ball to a senior in his last home game, and he said ‘I’m going to go out and get it done tonight. So, really proud of him.”
Jackson Cionek was responsible for the Wildcats’ lone run. He drew the first of four consecutive walks issued in the bottom of the first inning by McLaughlin with two outs.
Standing on third base, Cionek managed to slide ahead of catcher Cohen Parker to home plate following a McLaughlin wild pitch.
Cionek also helped preserve Burton’s shutout in the field. Ashley Ridge’s Matthew Dominianni hit a one-out double and tried to score on Ryan Bruno’s single to right field.
(Photo by lexingtonwildcats.com)
As Dominianni headed towards home plate, Cionek fielded the ball and fired an accurate throw to catcher Toby Sobieralski well in time to tag the baserunner out.
“That was huge,” Cionek said. “It was a 1-0 game. It would have been a tied game after that and we’re very fortunate that everything worked out.”
“There was a lot of momentum,” Burton said. “It saved the game. It gave our team a lot of momentum.”
Cionek also made a running catch in foul territory of a flyball hit by Hunter Hunt for the second out of the seventh inning. With the standing-room-only home crowd on their feet, Burton struck out Cohen Parker to end the game.
“So many close games where we had to find a way to win and this one was no different tonight,” head coach Brian Hucks said. “These kids just find a way in the end and that’s kind of a statement of their character, their integrity and how hard they work. We’re so proud of them.”
Game Two provided a fitting end to the Wildcats’ championship season as they mounted their 11th comeback win of the season. It trailed 1-0 through four innings before rallying for two runs in the Top 5th.
Tradd Burton started things with a one-out double. After Lincoln Hill was hit by a pitch, Will Burgess doubled to tie the game.
University of South Carolina commit Brandon Cromer followed with the go-ahead sacrifice fly.
As Brayden Studebaker kept Ashley Ridge scoreless during 3 1/3 innings of relief, Lexington added a run in the sixth inning on an error off a bunt by Ryder Kellis.
With one out and a runner on first, Cromer relieved Studebaker in the sixth inning. He got a strikeout and pop out to end the half-inning, then gave up two straight singles and a walk to load the bases.
Down 0-3 to McLaughlin, Cromer battled back to throw four straight strikes for the second out. Jackson Christopher then flew out to Cionek in right field, and the Wildcats began their celebration on the opposing pitcher’s mound.
“So many close games where we had to find a way to win and this one was no different tonight,” said Hucks, who hours earlier was named the S.C. Athletic Coaches Association’s Baseball Coach of the Year and earned his fourth career state title and second at Lexington. “These kids just find a way in the end and that’s kind of a statement of their character, their integrity and how hard they work. We’re so proud of them.”
Lady Wildcats lose in final
The opening night of the Class 5A baseball final also saw the conclusion of the softball final.
The Lexington softball team with the Class 5A runner-up trophy.
Lexington looked to force a deciding game against defending champion Summerville. Instead, it was shut out 10-0 in five innings by the Lady Green Wave.
After throwing a no-hitter and striking out 13 batters in Game One, Summerville pitcher Ansley Bennett allowed two hits and fanned nine in four innings of Game Two. She also drove in two runs with a first-inning home run to put the Lady Green Wave ahead.
Summerville broke the game open with five runs in the second inning. Hunter Chase’s two-run homer enabled it to close out a second straight title under the mercy rule which she did in retiring the final three batters after a leadoff hit by Robyn Craig.
Lexington finished the season with a 20-9 record.
Feature photo from S.C. High School League – The Lexington High School baseball team poses for a championship title.
