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Category: Sports

  • Eagles lose in offensive onslaught

    WINNSBORO- Greats Fall managed to just edge-out Richard Winn in a 11-10 fireworks show. that went into extra

    Bryant Carvalho (left) and Tyler Douglas (8) join former Richard Winn baseball coach Billy Keels in honoring former RWA standout Philip Wilkins who passed away on April 19. Wilkins’ number 9 jersey, which had already been retired (after he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers), was presented by Keels. Photo/Martha Ladd

    innings, and consisted of late-inning heroics as well as a controversial ending. The game was called in the eight inning on a technicality with Richard Winn trailing by one with a man on third, after a pitch passed the catcher and the Eagles’ batter stepped out of the box, a no-no in high school baseball and was tagged out.

    “I hate to see a really good game end like that,” Richard Winn head coach Paul Brigman said. “We showed a lot of heart tonight and came back twice from pretty difficult situations and I feel like we were about to tie the ballgame back up and to have something happen like that to kinda end it was just disappointing.”

    The scoring onslaught began early on. Great Falls’ first batter of the game Connor Henson reached on an error, then swiped second before being brought home by a Tydris Tharpe RBI single.

    Richard Winn’s bats went down in order in the first two innings, and the Eagles only brought four batters up to the plate in the third. Meanwhile, the Red Devils padded their lead with two more runs in the second frame, via a walk and an RBI grounder.

    Down 3-0, the Eagles made their move in the fourth. Brandon Miller sparked the beginning of Richard Winn’s offensive onslaught when he led the inning off with a single and Chris Christianson followed him-up with a base on balls.

    The Red Devils got the next two batters to hit shallow fly balls that kept the runners on second and third at bay, but Jimmy McKeown’s big double scored Brandon Miller.Ethan McManus, Richard Winn’s next batter, ripped a single that scored Christianson’s pinch-runner.

    Offense kept coming in Great Falls’ half of the fifth. Josh Lewis knocked in Aaron Blackmon from second with a ground-rule double, that stretched their lead to 4-2, but an excellent Richard Winn double play prevented further damage.

    Thanks to a couple of singles mixed with three walked batters, including one intentional walk and a wild-pitch the Eagles had a three-run fifth inning. Jimmy McKeown recorded his second RBI of the night in the inning, and Richard Winn took their first lead of the game, 5-4.

    The lead was short-lived because the Devils tied it back up in the sixth. Connor Henson also picked up his second RBI when he knocked in Trent Eisenhower.

    Nothing was going for was the Richard Winn offense in the sixth, leaving things tied up at 5-5 headed into the final frame. Aaron Blackmon was hit by a pitch and Josh Lewis walked to start the seventh.

    Trent Eisenhower knocked both of those runners in with a double, but he was tagged out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Still, Great Falls held a 7-5 lead, and Richard Winn had only three more outs to come back.

    It did not look good for Richard Winn to start off the seventh, as they popped out easily for the first two outs, but a Bryant Carvalho single kept the game alive. Then, Jimmy McKeown channeled his late game heroics, and knocked in a double to pick-up his third RBI, but most importantly it brought them a point closer to a tie.

    A couple of wild pitches led to McKeown crossing the plate for the game-tying run, and the game headed to an extra inning. Richard Winn walked the first Great Falls batter of extra innings, then allowed a single and then another walk that juiced the bases up.

    Koby Roof cashed in when he hit a ball perfectly to the gap for a bases clearing triple, and Roof scored on a fielding error in the same play. One swing of the bat put the Eagles down 11-7, and again they had just three outs to tie it back up.

    The bottom of the eight kicked with a routine fly-ball out, but Peyton Gilbert reached base on a one-out single. Brandon Miller walked on the next at bat, and Chris Christianson followed with an RBI-single that scored Gilbert from second.

    Zack Taylor grounded out for the Eagles second out, but not before Miller could score from third. Bryant Carvalho picked up another clutch hit with an RBI-single that pulled the Eagles within one, and then stole a couple of bases to get to third.

    That left to game resting on the bat of of Jimmy McKeown, who came in with three hits and three RBIS, but he would not get a chance to swing it. The umpire called the third out after a pitch passed the catcher, and McKeown stepped out of the box, which opened him up for a tag and out.

    “We’ve been talking all year about how young we are but we really in the last four or five ball games we’ve turned a corner,” Brigman said. “We were just talking, we scored 50 something runs in the last four ball games. Our hitting has came around it’s really just about us trying to find good solid pitching to go along with it right now.”
    Richard Winn still remains in a good spot as far as the playoffs concerned, which start on May 1.

    RWA: 0-0-0-2-3-0-2-3-10
    GFHS: 1-2-0-0-1-1-2-4-11
    Hitting: 1B- Peyton Gilbert (3), Brandon Miller, Bryant Carvalho (2), Jimmy McKeown, Ethan McManus (RWA); Connor Henson (2), Koby Roof, Austin Parker, Tydrus Tharpe (2) (GFHS). 2B- Chris Christianson, Jimmy McKeown (2) (RWA); Josh Lewis, Trent Eisenhower (GFHS). 3B- Koby Roof (GFHS).
    Pitching: WP- Connor Henson, LP- Ethan McManus

  • Griffins give-up playoff opening loss

    PROSPERITY- The fourth seed Region 3-A Fairfield Central Griffins dropped their opening round playoff game 11-1, to the sixth seeded Mid-Carolina Rebels. Rebels’ starting pitcher Jonathan Bickley dominated with just two hits allowed, zero earned runs and struck-out five,

    “If we don’t find a way to get to our next game that’s going to be McManus’s last time pitching,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “He’s our best guy, he wasn’t on today, I seen him do much better. On top of that we didn’t hit the ball. We only had two hits and that’s tough when you’re playing the number six 3-A baseball team in the state of South Carolina.”

    The Mid-Carolina Rebels made the first dent on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. Corey Stone, the second batter of the inning, reached on a single and Bickley earned him self some run-support by scoring the runner on a double.

    Fairfield tied things back up in the second after a bases loaded walk brought Travious Williams’ pinch runner in from third. Williams had singled to open up the inning, and was replaced on the base-path by Ledeavux Ashford.
    The 1-1 tie was short-lived, and Mid-Carolina opened themselves up a lead with a three-hit, four-run third inning.

    The Griffins walked two and tossed two wild pitches to help the Rebels’ cause.
    A hot Mid-Carolina kept padding the lead in the fourth, while the Griffins’ went down in order in two of the last three innings. Jalen Bates Caldwell started the inning off with a single, and after a couple of wild-pitches, he found himself on third.

    Cade Ruff brought Caldwell home to score with a deep sac fly. Corey Stone followed him up with a double, and his third hit.

    Ruff came into score after Jonathan Bickley picked up a second RBI-single. That left the bases full for the Rebels with just one out left, but CJ Simmons got a double play, but Mid-Carolina bounced back with a big fifth, that finished the game off.

    A couple walks and three hits, including a double off of the bat of Caldwell. Cade Ruff knocked in a couple RBI’s on a single, and then came home on a wild-pitch for the eleventh and final run for the Rebels.

    The Griffins travel to Emerald High School on Thursday. If they lose the season is over, but a win will keep the season alive, and the Griffins will hit the road Saturday.

    “Like I just got through telling them you got to fight, you got to scrap,” Dean said. “ To win every pitch, to win every inning, to win every out, and just extend the season by getting to the next pitch and getting to the next out. It’s tough, you spend a lot of time with these guys, these seniors, they worked their butt off. I think we’re a better baseball team than what shows sometimes. That team ain’t ten runs better than us.”

    FCHS: 0-1-0-0-0-1
    MCHS: 1-0-4-2-4-11

    Hitting- 1B- Travious Williams, Harvey Smith (FCHS); Jalen Bates Caldwell, Cade Ruff, Corey Stone (3), Jonathan Bickley, Hunter Clinton (MCHS). 2B- Jalen Bates-Caldwell, Corey Stone, Jonathan Bickley, Preston Farmer (MCHS).
    Pitching: WP-Jonathan Bickley , LP- Stanley McManus

  • Griffins senior night

    Stanley McManus (10), Tracy Williamson (4), Rodric Woodard (2), Jeff Russell (3), Tydarius Young (7), and Travious Williams (31) take one last photo on senior night. Photo/ Ross Burton

    WINNSBORO – The Griffins notched a 9-7 victory over Newberry High on their senior night, their last game before the start of the playoffs. Fairfield jumped ahead 9-2 early, and it was looking like a route in the making, but Newberry battled back to make it a much closer game.

    “Good way to finish up the season,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “We got a good baseball team when we throw strikes and put the ball in play, and when we don’t throw strikes and kick it around we’re bad. Today I thought we played pretty good on defense, I think we only had one or two errors, maybe, I think we had a few hits, put up nine runs.”

    Newberry actually jumped out to the early lead in the top of the first. Trey Kinard reached on a walk, then swiped second and, after a pick-off attempt went over the third baseman’s head, Kinard crossed the plate easily.

    Fairfield wasted no time in re-grouping, putting up two runs in the bottom half of the first frame. Montavious Thompson led off with a single, then stole a base and Rodric Woodard was walked by Bulldogs’ pitcher and former Griffin Ivan Ruff.

    Stanley McManus brought both Thompson and Woodard in to score with one swing of the bat for two of his four RBI’s on the night. McManus collected a double, but was tagged out in a close play as he tried to stretch the double into a triple.

    An error for the Griffins at shortstop allowed Adam Kessler to score from second and knotted the game back up at 2-2. Fairfield did not answer back in the second, but their bats erupted in the bottom of the third.

    Jacob McManus kicked off the third with a fly ball to right that should have been an easy out, but the rightfielder had trouble handling the ball, and McManus reached first. Newberry recorded a strikeout next, but then gave up a walk, an RBI-single, a double, an RBI Double, two hit batters and five-runs before they collected another out.

    The 7-2 Griffins lead continued to grow with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Montavious Thompson, who was hit by a pitch, score after a couple of errors opened the plate up for him, and Rodric Woodard scored on a Stanley McManus grounder, that left Woodard just enough time to squeak across home.

    The 9-2 lead seemed like it would be far too much for the Bulldogs to overcome, but they were not done rallying. A couple of singles and a couple of walks given up by the Griffins, allowed Newberry to put two runs in the top of the fifth.

    Newberry followed their two-run fifth with two more in the sixth. A pair of sack flies, along with a walk and hit batter set the stage for the two-run sixth inning.

    Fairfield could not plate anymore runs in their half of the sixth, meaning Newberry had three outs remaining to score three-runs and tie up the ball game, and they managed to score one of those but a double-play off the bat of the former Griffin Ivan Ruff put a bow on the game for Fairfield.

    “It was 9-2 in the fourth and we wind up making it interesting,” Dean said. “When you got young pitchers and they’re struggling to throw strikes, that kind of thing happens. But I got a lot of confidence in our guys. We start the playoffs on Tuesday. They did a good job making the playoffs.”

    Dean took a moment to remember the seniors that would be leaving the team.

    “This senior class right here has won a lot of ball games. This is probably the winningest class of seniors other than that 2014 group. Monk’s been playing varsity baseball since seventh grade. Rodric’s been playing a lot of baseball for us. Trey’s a four year starter. Jeff Russell just came out and he’s seemed to be pretty good. I’m gonna miss this group of guys , you can’t replace people like that.”

     

    FCHS:2-0-5-2-0-0-X-9

    NHS: 1-1-0-0-2-2-1-7

    Hitting: 1B- Montavious Thompson, Stanley McManus (FCHS) Adam Kesler, Alec Blackmon (2), Tramas Ruff (2), Bentrez Douglas, Riley Summer (NHS). 2B- Stanley McManus, Travious Williams, Antonio Jackson

    Pitching: WP-Jacob McManus, LP- Ivan Ruff

  • Blythewood Lacrosse done

    Photo/ Ross Burton

    Trey Edwards (22) scans the field in attempts to sneak the ball past Nation Ford defenders. The Falcons proved to be much for the Bengals, beating Blythewood 14-12 to advance to the 5-A State Title game. Alex Ramadanovic blazed through Blythewood defenders on his way to an eight-goal night. Nation Ford entered the playoffs as a 16-seed, and will travel to Chapin to face Wando in the State title game on Saturday.

  • Bengals win consolation game in SCDI

    Blythewood J. Michael Ross tosses out the first pitch ahead of the Bengals opening game

    Blythewood baseball team finished off  J.L. Mann 5-4 in eight innings Saturday to claim the consolation game of the SC Diamond Invitational, but the Bengals very nearly let it get away.

    “That’s sort of how it’s been,” Blythewood head coach Banks Faulkner said. “It’s been really tough for us to finish games. I feel like if you want to make a playoff run, you’ve gotta learn how to finish games and you’ve gotta learn how to rally.”

    Faulkner was glad to see his team take some steps toward learning how to rally.

    Blythewood took a 4-2 lead going into the seventh inning. With two out and Miles Daniels at second, J.L. Mann found a little good luck. Blake Jeter hit a lazy fly ball out to left field, and Blythewood’s Brady Beasley was tracking it.

    And then Beasley lost track of the ball. When it dropped, Daniels raced around third and crossed the plate for the third run. With Jeter parked at second, King Price smacked a line drive that carried into the rightfield corner. Jeter easily made home, and Price slid in safely to third for a triple.

    Price stayed stranded as Ryan Watson flied out to centerfield and ended the inning.

    Blythewood nearly walked off with the win in the bottom of the seventh. Zach Bailes and Landon Cruz stroked back-to-back one-out singles, and Ian Stephen drew a walk to load the bases.

    The situation looked primed for a walk-off play, but Beasley hit a ground ball to Kyle Forman playing between first and second base. Forman fired to Watson behind the plate to force out Bailes, and Watson threw to Robert Powell at first to get Beasley and end the inning on a double play.

    Blythewood wasn’t finished. Relief pitcher John Lanier set the Patriots down in order in the top of the eighth. Then Ben Lang-Spittler lashed out a long double in the right centerfield gap to lead off the bottom half.

    In an odd move, likely looking to set up another double-play, J.L. Mann intentionally walked Todd Mattox and Aidan Massey to load the bases with nobody out.

    This time, Blythewood got a break. Cowan swung on and hit a lazy grounder to Powell at first. Powell moved in several feet in front of the bag to get it, but hesitated enough to allow Lang-Spittler to score the winning run.

    “You’ve got to learn to man up and find a way to keep competing,” Faulkner said. “Looking back, I’m glad something happened like that, because it tested our resolve and tested our spirit. We just kept fighting.”

    Late Friday, Dutch Fork beat Belton-Honea Path 7-6 in the fourth-place game.

    In other games Saturday, Lexington beat Nation Ford 7-2 in the third-place game. T.L. Hanna won the tournament championship with a 4-2 victory over Dorman.

     

    The Bengals finished the tournament 3-1.

    In the first game Wednesday, Blythewood chalked up a 4-1 victory over Nations Ford. Bengals starter Daniel Zippel worked a complete game 3-hitter, striking out five. His only run was unearned.

    On Thursday, the Bengals got out to a 3-0 lead going into the sixth, but the Yellow Jackets got four runs in the sixth and closed out a 5-3 victory.

    Blythewood rebounded with an 11-5 win over Belton-Honea Path Friday night. After three scoreless innings, the Bengals picked up three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and three in the seventh. They were up 11-1 before the Bears picked up four runs on a hit and three Bengals errors in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

    “It was not easy for us, but we’ve got a saying that we’ve used, ‘the tougher it is, the more we like it,’” Faulkner said. “I don’t truly feel like our kids believe that, but hopefully this will help. We’re a very improved team. We’ve pitched really well the entire tournament, and defensively we played together. Just trying to put everything together has been a challenge for us, but we’ve focused on controlling what we can be controlled and staying positive.”

     

     

    Saturday

    Blythewood 5, J.L. Mann 4

    J.L. Mann:2-0-0-0-0-0-2-0- 4 5 1

    Blythewood:2-1-1-0-0-0-0-1 – 5 12 2 

    WP: Landon Lucas. LP: Jamison Patterson.

    Hitters: Blythewood –  Josh Cowan 3-5. Zach Bailes 2-4. Landon Cruz 2-3, 2B. Jordan Flemming 2-3. Ben Lang-Spittler 2B. J.L.Mann  – Myles Daniels 2-4, 2B. King Price 3B. Matthew Lumsden 2B. Blake Jeter 2B.

     

    Friday

    Blythewood 11, Belton-Honea Path 5

    Blythewood: 0-0-0-3-2-3-3-  11 12 3

    Belton-Honea Path:0-0-0-0-0-1-4-  5 6 1

    WP: Landon Lucas. LP: Jamison Patterson.

    Hitters: Blythewood –  Todd Mattox 2-4, 2B. Landon Lucas 2-4. Thomas Murphy 2B. Belton-Honea Path – Griffin Jester 2-4. Jacob Keown 3B.

     

    Thursday

    T.L. Hanna 5, Blythewood 3

    T.L. Hanna:0-0-0-0-0-4-1-  5 8 2

    Blythewood:0-1-1-0-1-0-0-  3 6 1

    WP: Tyler Kirkland. LP: John Lanier.

    Hitters: T.L. Hanna –  Gaines Yates 2-4. Austin Welborn 2-2. Alex Meredith 2B.

     

    Wednesday

    Blythewood 4, Nations Ford 1

    Nations Ford: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0  – 1 2 4

    Blythewood:  1-1-0-0-2-0-x –    

    4 6 2

    WP: Daniel Zippel. LP: Evan Lammers.

    Hitters: Blythewood –  Aidan Massey 2-3, Josh Cowan 2-3 Ben Lang-Spittler 2-4.

     

     

     

  • Griffins Swept up by Chester Cyclones

    Senior starting pitcher Stanley McManus hurls a rocket off of the mound

    Fairfield Central headed into to hostile territory, and dropped a close 5-3 game against regional opponent Chester on the Cyclone’s senior night. The contest was the Griffin’s first since the Spring Break Holiday

    Chester built an early lead, scoring single runs in each of the first three innings. To lead off the home half of the first, Anthony McCullough tried to lay down a bunt for Chester, but he got a little more air under it than he wanted, but it handcuffed the Griffins first baseman and his late throw was errant, sending the speedy outfielder to second base.

    McCullough reached third on a passed ball, but was still standing there with two outs. Senior Luke Blanchett took care of that, stroking a single that plated McCullough and gave Chester a 1-0 lead.

    In the second, Luke Wright drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Jordan Price got him in with a sacrifice fly to boost Chester’s lead to 2-0.

    McCullough was a catalyst again in the third, reaching base on an error and scoring on a J.D. Carter single to make it a 3-0 game.

    Wright, a freshman, got the start on the mound for the Cyclones. Powell decided to go with him because he’d pitched so well in an earlier 19-2 Chester win over the Griffins.

    Fairfield Central looked to have something going in the first with Trey Williams hitting a shot back up the middle, but Trent Johnson made a terrific diving stop to record the out. Wright got the Griffins in order (with two strikeouts) in the second and pitched around a hit batsman to avoid trouble in the third.

    He hit another batter in the fourth but Johnson made another diving stab of a catch to wipe out a certain hit and keep the Griffins at bay. In fact, the visitors were hitless until the fifth when pinch-hitter Antonio Jackson came up with a solid single.

    The next batter walked, and after a fly ball out Montavious Thompson got his team on the board with an RBI single. Stanley McManus brought another one in with a sacrifice fly and it was suddenly a 3-2 ball game.

    Carter walked to start the sixth frame and stole second. Jake Stroud knocked him in, then scored on an error to put Chester up 5-2. Fairfield scored one unearned run with two out in the seventh, but Blanchett closed it out.

    Fairfield will close out the season with three consecutive home games. They hosted Indian Land on Wednesday, then will host Newberry Thursday and finish off the season Monday with Eau Claire.

  • Westwood finishes .500 at Mingo Bay Classic

    Westwood baseball headed to Myrtle Beach during Spring Break to participate in the Mingo Bay Classic

    Game #1 vs. West Seneca, NY
    Westwood-10, West Seneca-9.

    A walk-off double by Joseph Bennett led Redhawks Varsity Basbeall past West Seneca 10-9 on Monday April 10. The game was tied at nine with the Redhawks batting in the bottom of the sixth when Joseph Bennett collected a two-run double.
    Branden May started the game for the Redhawks, May went three and two-thirds innings, surrendered zero runs, two hits, struck-out three, and walked zero.
    West Seneca scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but the Redhawks answered with two of their own. West Seneca scored on double off of James Watson, driving in one run and a sacrifice fly brought home another run. The Redhawks then answered when Ethan Barton singled driving in one run.
    West Seneca scored seven runs in the sixth inning The big inning for West Seneca came thanks to four singles and a double during the top half.

    Game #2 vs. Falls Church, VA
    Westwood-14, Falls Church-0.

    The Redhawks defeated Falls Church, Va. 14-0 on Tuesday April 11, as two pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Ethan Barton earned the win for the Redhawks. He tossed three and a third innings, surrendered zero runs, five hits, struck-out three, and walked one. Joey Gonzales induced a groundout from Haynes to finish off the game.
    The Redhawks secured the victory thanks to ten runs in the third inning. Westwood scored on a single by Joseph Bennett, a single by Elijah Heatley, a single by Justin Davis, a single by Joseph Bennett and four walks.
    Heatley led the Redhawks with three runs batted in. He went 1-for-1 on the day. The Redhawks didn’t commit a single error in the field. Rashawn Green had eight fielding opportunities, the most on the team.

    Game #3 vs. Plattsburg, NY
    Plattsburg-4, Westwood-3.

    The Redhawks collected nine hits to Plattsburg’s four, they still fell 4-3 on Wednesday April 12.
    Connor Buck and Elijah Heatley each drove in one run to lead the Redhawks offense that came up one run short.
    Plattsburg took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth inning. A Plattsburg single off of Justin Davis, drove in three runs.
    Branden May started the game for the Redhawks. May threw three innings, gave up zero runs, two hits, and struck-out three. Connor Buck took the loss for the Redhawks, on three surrendered runs, and one hit.

    Game #4 vs. Wheeling Central, WV
    Wheeling Central-12, Westwood-5.

    The Redhawks watched the game slip away early and couldn’t recover in a 12-5 loss to Wheeling Central Catholic on Thursday April 14. Wheeling scored on a single in the first inning, an error, and another single in the second.
    Wheeling took an early lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly scoring one run. The Knights scored three runs in the fifth inning to pad their lead.
    Matthew Oxendine took the loss for the Redhawks. He tossed three and two-thirds innings, surrendered seven runs, eight hits, and struck-out five. Connor Buck and Elijah Heatley each drove in one run to lead the Redhawks at the plate.

  • Diamond Invitational Update: Day 3

    Blythewood secured a berth in the consolation game of the SC Diamond Invitational tournament with an 11-5 victory over Belton-Honea Path Friday night.

    Blythewood takes on J.L. Mann in the consolation game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. T.L. Hanna and Dorman will square off in the championship game at 2 p.m.

    Nations Ford and Lexington play in the third-place game at 9 a.m.

    Todd Mattox had two hits and a double, and Bengals starting pitcher Landon Lucas helped his own cause with two hits and two RBI.

    The game was scoreless until the fourth, when Belton-Honea Path starting pitcther Jamison Patterson walked Mattox, struck out Landon Cruz, but hit Brady Beasley to put two men on with one out.

    Lucas bunt singled Mattox in, then John Lanier singled in Beasley to give the Bengals a 2-0 lead. Patterson hit Brady Carson to load the bases, but struck out Nic Henderson for the second out.

    Patterson walked Ben Lang-Spittler, which drove in Thomas Murphy, who was running for Lanier.

    Zach Bailes flied out to rightfield to end the inning, but the Bengals continued the onslaught. Blythewood picked up two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and three more in the seventh to take an 11-1 lead in the last frame.

    Belton-Honea Path, which scored a run in the sixth to stop a shutout, came up with four runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

    On the mound, Lucas worked 6-plus innings and 4-hit the Bears, striking out four and walking one.

    Henderson came on in relief after Lucas started the sixth, and quickly got in trouble. He and the Bengals infield gave up four runs on a hit and three errors. The Blythewood defense rallied though, and got two grounders and a strikeout in the seventh to seal the win.

    In other games Friday, T.L. Hanna beat Nations Ford 7-3, J.L. Mann topped Dutch Fork 14-8, Dorman leveled Lexington 11-1. Dutch Fork and Belton Honea Path played late in the fourth-place game.

     

    Blythewood    000      323      3          –           11 12 3

    Belton-Honea Path    000      001      4          –           5 6 1

    WP: Landon Lucas. LP: Jamison Patterson.

    Hitters: Blythewood –  Todd Mattox 2-4, 2B. Landon Lucas 2-4. Thomas Murphy 2B. Belton-Honea Path – Griffin Jester 2-4. Jacob Keown 3B.

  • Clifton brings home first win

    After making her debut as a steeplechase jockey at the Aiken Spring Steeplechase two weeks ago, where she took second place in her first race, and riding two races during the Carolina Cup in Camden last week, Emma Clifton of Blythewood brought home her first win at the Steeplechase of Charleston at Stono Ferry on Saturday. The win was also a first for Clifton’s mount, Petak Mountain, an 8-year-old owned by In Memory of My Father Stable and trained by Archibald Kingsley, Jr. of Camden. In the photo above, Clifton pulls ahead of jockey Richard Boucher on the 1-1/4 mile turf track to take the win. Read more about Clifton in the Spring issue of Rider’s Up! magazine, a quarterly publication of The Voice that features stories about horses and riders in Blythewood and Fairfield County. Clifton’s husband, Brice, is the assistant baseball coach at Blythewood High School.

     

  • Diamond Invitational Update: Day 2

    Nation Ford kicked off day two of the South Carolina Diamond Invitational with a big 6-1 over defending champs Belton-Honea Path. This is Belton Honea Path’s second loss of the tournament, after running the table last year, and Nation Ford redeemed themselves for the 4-1 loss on day one to Blythewood.

    J.L. Mann took on Dorman in the second game of the second day, and Dorman emerged with a 6-1 victory. J.L. Mann dropped their day one game 1-0 to Lexington in extra innings, and Dutch Fork unleashed an 8-1 beat down on Dorman.

    Blythewood dropped to 1-1 on the tournament with a 5-3 to T.L. Hanna, after leading 3-0 through six innings. The win improves T.L. Hanna to 2-0.

    Lexington pitched another shut-out in the final game of the day. The 4-0 win today over Dutch Fork pushed their scoreless inning streak to 17.