Blythewood Online 691

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  • Griffins offense soars against Columbia

     

    Montavious Thompson squares around to make contact, and he made contact all night. Thompson ended the game with three hits.

    COLUMBIA- The Griffins responded to a winless couple of weeks in a big way. They laid a 17-1 smack down on the Columbia Capitals Tuesday night, in a game that was called after just four innings.

    “It’s always good to get a win,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “God I don’t think we won a game since two Tuesdays ago when we beat Richard Winn, and then we lost to Cardinal-Newman on Thursday, so I think we’re starting to play good baseball.”

    Fairfield wasted no time getting going in this one. Montavious Thompson led-off the first inning with a double, and he ended the game 3-3 with the double, two singles and he also accounted for two of the Griffins’ runs.

    After Thompson’s double, the Capitals gave up an error and three consecutive walks, and Thompson, along with Rodric Woodard, came into score. Tracy Williamson, grounded into what should have been a routine ground-ball, but instead a Capitals error led to three more Griffin first-inning runs, and they led 5-0 headed into the second inning.

    Rodric Woodard picked up an RBI-single in the top of the second when he knocked in Thompson, and Antonio Jackson followed him with an RBI-single of his own. Jackson later came into score on a wild-pitch.

    It did not help Columbia’s case that Antonio Jackson, the Griffins’ starting pitcher, was dealing. In his three innings of work he only allowed one hit, walked one and rung-up five Capital hitters.

    Chris Simmons knocked in Fairfield’s only run in third inning, on a double that brought Tydarius Young around for the score. What little hope Columbia had heading into the fourth inning was dashed immediately.

    “CJ Simmons hit the crap out of the ball,”Dean said. “Tre had a big hit with the bases loaded; Montavious had three hits, so I mean we’re hitting the baseball. We running the bases, I mean we just put it together a little bit better today than last Friday.”

    Columbia walked the first two batters of the fourth, and Travious Williams, scored both of those batters on a deep single. That was followed by a walk, a Tydarius Young single and finally another walk which loaded the bases up for the third time in the game.

    Chris Simmons, capitalized again, and picked up two more RBI’s for his collection. Eight batters into the inning Columbia recorded the first out, but before they could the Griffins had scored seven runs and they scored eight in total, during the top half of the fourth.

    The Capitals put up a last inning desperation run via a Griffins’ wild pitch, but that was all of the fight that they had left. The win qualifies the Griffins for playoff baseball.

     

    “That puts us in the playoffs,” Dean said. “We look to improve our seeding with the next couple games. That at least makes us the fourth seed I think. With a couple more wins we can split with somebody, Indian Land, we can still split with Camden; we can still split with Chester. Like I say man, just keep improving every time we go out, and I think we got a chance to be pretty good.”

    FCHS: 5-3-1-8-17

    CHS:   0-0-0-1-1

    WP: Antonio Jackson LP: Jordan Puch

    Hitters: FCHS- Montavious Thompson 3-3,2B. Rodric Woodard 1-2. Chris Simmons 2-3, 2 2B. Antonio Jackson 1-2. Travious Williams, 1-2. Jeff Russell, 1-1. CHS- Jordan Williams 1-1. Darren Weavers, 1-1. Skylar King, 1-2.

     

  • Blazers throttle Redhawk Ladies 15-0

     

     

    Deltrice Holmes lays down an attempted bunt in the team’s double-digit loss.

    The Westwood softball team isn’t having the best of seasons, as illustrated in Tuesday night’s 15-0, five-inning loss to Region 3-4A rival Ridge View.

     

    Head coach Lila Grooms acknowledges the Redhawks’ struggles, but she says the team can overcome them.

    “I commend the girls for keeping their heads up in spite of the loss,” Grooms said. “We’ve got a lot of flaws that we have to fix. Part of it is confidence, and understanding how to overcome adversity. Even though you are down in runs, anything can happen. You’ve got to keep your confidence up and you’ve got to keep fighting.”

    The Blazers scored two runs in the first when starting pitcher Marlena Perez threw a pitch in the dirt to Anaya Payne with two outs. From that point, Westwood (0-4 region, 3-11 overall) played from behind.

    Ridge View sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run second inning, and 10 batters in the seven-run third. A run in the fourth and a run in the fifth rounded out the scoring.

    Payne, the Ridge View starting pitcher, faced only 10 Westwood batters before the Redhawks finally showed some life in the bottom of the fourth.

    Deltrice Holmes singled up the middle and moved to second on a throwing error. Karena Scott and Brooke Bayne reached base on back-to-back infield singles, but Scott was forced out at second on Bayne’s hit.

    With runners on the corners and one out, Cayla Petty popped out and Raejean Patterson struck out to retire the side.

    In the final inning, Perez led off with a single and eventually moved to second, but Jamisha Taylor popped out, Demetria Boyd struck out, and Ihayanna Cruz lined out to Payne to end the game.

    Ridge View had more base runners and played better defense than the Redhawks, but Grooms said Tuesday night’s game showed that Westwood needed a little more confidence when taking the field.

    “Once we learn that, mentally, then I think the physical game will catch up. They have it, it’s just a matter of showing it and believing in themselves.”

    Westwood played Clinton Wednesday.

    Ridge View    2-4-7-1-1-15 11 2

    Westwood      0-0-0-0-0-0

     4 2

    WP: Anaya Payne LP: Marlena Perez

     

  • Redhawks give Bruins a drubbing

     

    Bryce Henson receives the ball too late to complete the pick-off attempt on the Lancaster base-runner

    BLYTHEWOOD-Westwood hitters, and the 2-hit pitching of Brandon May, made the Redhawks’ game against Lancaster a short affair.

    In a game moved up in the day to accommodate a storm front coming into the Midlands later that evening, Westwood scored in every inning and May struck out six in an 11-1, five-inning victory over the Region 3-4A rival Bruins.

    “When we show up to play, we play. Westwood head coach Jonathan Burroughs said. “We hit the ball. We ran the bases well. We didn’t make any mistakes mentally, and when we play like that, we’re pretty dang good.”

    Ethan Barton went 3-for-4 with a double to lead Westwood (2-1). Bryce Henson went 2-for-4 with a triple. Anthony LaCola went 2-for-4 with a double. Rashawn Green each had two hits.

    Elijah Heatley, who reached on an error and had two walks and scored two runs, was the only Redhawk who went without a hit.

    May’s only real trouble on the mound came in the fourth inning, when Lancaster loaded the bases on a hit and two walks. He struck out two though, and got J.P. Cunningham to ground out to retire the side.

    “It was good to see him struggle through a little adversity,” Burroughs said. “He didn’t have his fastball today, so he had to live on his off-speed stuff, which is the sign of a good pitcher.”

    Westwood’s first two batters of the game made their first scoring combination. LaCola led off the game with an infield hit, moved to second as Matthew Oxendine batted, and Oxendine drove him in with a long single to rightfield. Oxendine later scored on Barton’s 2-out single up the middle to give the Redhawks a 2-0 lead. Jab Bennett struck out to retire the side.

    Lancaster got a run back in the second on no hits.

    Even though May struck out the side, a dropped third strike on Cunningham enabled the Bruin to reach base safely. Logan Phillips, who led off the inning with a walk, moved to second and third while May was striking out C.J. Brown and Sergio Vasquez, and scored when Heatley’s throw to Henson at first was not in time.

    Cunningham eventually got thrown out trying to steal second base, ending the Bruins’ only highlight of the early evening.

    The Westwood bats continued to lash out.

    In the second inning, Josh Wise, running for Heatley, scored on Green’s 2-out single up the middle. Connor Buck then reached base on an infield single that scored Oxendine, who reached base when he was hit with a pitch.

    Oxendine’s RBI single made it 4-1 Redhawks and chased Bruins starting pitcher Luis Gomez from the mound. Hunter Thomas came on with two outs and struck out Henson to retire the side.

    Barton led the 3-run Westwood third with a double. Jab Bennett reached on a bunt single, and Brandon Anderson’s sacrifice bunt scored Barton. After Heatley drew a walk, LaCola doubled both Bennett and Wise, running for Heatley again, home to make it 7-1 Redhawks.

    Thomas struck out Oxendine and Green to end the inning, but the Redhawks got a run in the fourth, and three more in the fifth to close out the game.

    In that last inning, Green singled, Buck walked, and Henson drove both runners in when he lined a 1-out triple that shot into the left centerfield gap. Barton’s RBI single scored Henson and stopped play.

    The Redhawks played Airport in a non-region game Wednesday before hitting the road to play at South Pointe Friday.

    Lancaster       010      00        –           1 2 2

    Westwood      223      13        –           11 13 0

    WP: Brandon May LP: Luis Gomez

    Hitters: Westwood – Bryce Henson 2-4, 3B. Ethan Barton 3-4, 2B.Anthony LaCola 2-4, 2B. Rashawn Green 2-4.

  • Bengals dominate visiting Thoroughbreds

    BLYTHEWOOD- Blythewood bounced back from a grueling 12-inning loss to River Bluff by clinching a 9-0 victory over the South Aiken High Thoroughbreds, on the Bengals’ Military Appreciation Day.

    Jordan Flemming takes a cut at the South Aiken pitch. Flemming had himself a good night with two hits and two RBI’s.

    “I thought it was good for us to come out and just try to get that taste out of our mouths” Bengals’ head coach Banks Faulkner said. “Our kids left their hearts on the field over there at River Bluff, and we really poured everything into that game. I was really proud of how they came out and played a complete game against a good team, so it was a good win for us.”

    Daniel Zippel started the game off, but fellow senior pitchers Hunter McCoy and Todd Mattox came on in relief to preserve the shutout. The trio of Bengals’ seniors gave up just three hits and punched out four.

    “Our pitchers just continue to fill the strike-zone up, I thought our pitchers Daniel Zippel, and Hunter McCoy and then Todd Mattox, three seniors,” Faulkner said when asked about standout performers. “I mean anytime you throw a shutout you’re really good. Todd Mattox continues to be really steady for us.”

    Blythewood’s bats showed up early in the first inning. South Aiken got the first two Bengals to fly-out, but an Aidan Massey walk kept the first inning alive.

    An error on the next play brought Massey home, and put Landen Cruz on third for the Bengals. Tyler Miller, South Aiken’s starter, followed the error with another walk, and that opened the door for Jordan Flemming to knock in two-runs on a base hit.

    “Jordan Flemming stepped in the first inning and had a big hit there that sort of broke the ice,” Faulkner said. “That’s just what we couldn’t quite get last night, was that big hit with a man in scoring position, so we’re excited. We have a tough week next week, but we’re in a good frame of mind.”

    Flemming advanced to third on a wild-pitch, and stole home after another Thoroughbred pitch hit the backstop. Miller managed to get himself out of the inning before allowing a fourth run, but the damage was far from done.

    South Aiken opened up the second with two consecutive walks. Those walks set the table for Aidan Massey to drive in two runs on a deep single, and the Bengals’ lead expanded to 6-0.

    Miller was yanked after he got off to a rough start in the third inning. He walked four batters, allowed two-base hits and gave-up three more runs, before he was replaced by the Thoroughbreds’ designated hitter, Tannar Batchelor.

    Batchelor had much more success than his predecessor. He went three and two thirds, he did give up three hits, but did not allow a run or earned run, and still his team could not manage to provide him any type of run support.

    The Thoroughbreds only picked up one single in the last three innings, and the runner did not make it past first base.

    Blythewood will follow the South Aiken matchup with a two-game set against their conference opponents Dutch Fork. Game one will be Tuesday at Dutch Fork and the final game will be Friday night in Blythewood.

    BHS: 4-2-3-0-0-0-9

    SAHS: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

    Hitting: 1B- Todd Mattox, Aidan Massey, Jordan Flemming (2), Josh Cowan, Zach Bailes (BHS); Connor O’Rear, Tucker Rabon (SAHS). 2B- Andrew Kraus (SAHS).

    Pitching: (BHS) Daniel Zippel (W), 4IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K. Hunter McCoy 2IP, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K. Todd Mattox 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K. (SAHS) Tyler Miller (L), 2.1 IP, 3H, 9R, 5ER, 7BB, 2K. Tanner Bachelor, 3.2IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 2K.

     

  • Eagles Down Griffins in crosstown matchup

    WINNSBORO- Richard Winn met Fairfield Central Monday night in a battle of crosstown schools. Fairfield jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but it would not be enough and the Eagles walked out with a 7-4 victory.

    “I told the kids I was proud of them,” Griffins’ head coach Gwen Rouse said. “I think we played a good game, we lost, but sometimes it’s not about the wins or losses and looking at who pitched against us I think we did a great job.”

    Bailey Taylor walked the first Griffin batter of the game, but she settled down to get three straight outs, including two strike-outs. Taylor looked like a strikeout-artist with her 11 punch-outs in the game.

    “My pitcher always does a great job,” Eagles’ head coach Millie Lambert said. “She throws hard, she plays her game, she calls her pitches and she knows what she’s good at for what batter.”

    Despite Taylor’s strong showing and high strike-out numbers, the Griffins were able to get some momentum going early. China Woodard singled in the first, and came in on an error, then Nikedra Harper knocked in Tameshia Woodard to give Fairfield a 2-0 lead.

    “I feel like we hit the ball good against her,” Rouse said. “We hit a lot of balls on the left side which was good compared to when we played them the first time.”

    A walk and an error by Taylor in the second brought China Woodard back up to bat. Woodard singled again, but this time she scored the runner from the third, and Richard Winn’s deficit grew to three.

    Then the Eagles exploded in the third, and they did not look back. The inning began with a groundout, but Sallie Costenbader sparked the offensive onslaught with a single and Riley Simpson, the next batter, reached on an error.

    Alyssa Atkerson fields the ball and eyes down her third baseman before she makes her throw over to the bag.

     

    Costenbader and Riley Simpson both scored on wild pitches while Gracie Atkerson was in the batter’s box. Atkerson walked on five-pitches, and next, Bailey Taylor stepped up to take her swings again.

    Taylor, who’s already committed to Troy University, belted the ball out of the park for a two-run homer. She nearly homered in the first, but the ball pelted a tree, and stayed in play for a double.

    “The girls came alive finally,” Lambert said. “Started hitting the ball, we had a couple of kids that don’t usually hit really good, but really came through for us today and was hitting every at bat, so I think that was a huge turning point.”

    The home-run gave Richard Winn the lead for the first time, and the Eagles added some insurance to that lead, in the bottom half of the fourth. Again, the Eagles’ started the inning off with an out, but Riley Simpson doubled on the next at bat.

    An error allowed Gracie Atkerson to reach base again, and this time the Griffins opted to intentionally walk Bailey Taylor. “She hit a home-run, you have to respect a good batter,” Rouse said.

    Alyssa Atkerson followed Taylor’s intentional walk, and she picked up an RBI with a sac-fly out to left-field. Then Kimmy Albert beamed a two-RBI triple out in the right-field gap, for one of her four hits, and the Eagles went up 7-3.

    The Griffins scored a run on an error in fifth, but they only managed two base-hits after the fourth inning and during that same stretch they struck-out four times. The game fittingly ended with another Taylor strike out.

    “We can’t be beat if we can have one inning like the third inning,” Lambert said. “I don’t know many teams that’ll beat us, but we have to stay consistent, we have to play that one inning seven innings.” RWA: 0-0-0-4-3-0-7 FCHS: 0-2-1-0-0-0-0-4

    Pitching: RWA– Bailey Taylor (W), CG, 7H, 4R, 2ER, 3BB, 11K. FCHS- Trenatee Roberts (L), CG, 8H, 7R, 5ER, 4BB, 1K.

    Hitting: 1B- Riley Simpson, Kimmy Albert (3), Sallie Costenbader (RWA); Amari Jones, China Woodard (3), Nikedra Harper (2), Zanyha Rice (FCHS). 2B- Bailey Taylor (RWA). 3B- Kimmy Albert (RWA). HR- Bailey Taylor (RWA).

    LOB: RWA- 6, FCHS- 7.

  • The Taste of St.Patrick’s Day

    We may have Americanized Irish Stew with beef instead of lamb, but I don’t think St. Patrick would mind.

    Things are greening up around town as we get ready for St. Patrick’s Day. Here in the United States, it’s serious business and failure to wear green on the blessed day may result in a pinch or two.

    St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland as a religious holiday (pubs were closed on St. Patrick’s Day clear up until 1970) therefore the holiday is somewhat more subdued. St. Patrick was traditionally celebrated in Ireland for the missionary work he performed; he brought Christianity to the isle. As a result, the holiday is more of a religious event, similar to Easter and Christmas.

    Irish immigrants fled to the United States during the Great Potato Famine in the mid-1800’s. They had a hard time finding work and were often despised for their religious beliefs. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were often met with contempt.  But as the number of Irish increased, celebrations became more and more common. What started as a few parades to cheer up homesick immigrants has turned into quite the celebration, whether or not you’re of Irish descent.

    According to Census date, the number of Americans who claim Irish descent is around 40 million; that is more than seven times larger than the population of Ireland (www.irishcentral.com).  As a result, we’ve re-invented St. Patrick’s Day as our own.

    We pinch and/or kiss one another. We make green foods, drink green beer, dye our rivers and streams green and adapt Irish food to our own unique taste.  As any good Irishman will tell you, lamb is the preferred meat for stew, but here in the U.S. we eat more beef than lamb, so when we choose to make Irish Stew, it’s usually beef instead of lamb, although we are willing to add a drop or two of Guinness to add some malty authenticity.

    Irish Stew

    Yield: 4-6 people

    1 ¼ pounds of chuck stew meat, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

    Salt and Pepper

    ¼ cup all purpose flour

    3 Tablespoons of olive oil

    4 large garlic cloves, minced

    4 cups of beef stock

    1 cup of Guinness extra stout

    1 cup of red wine

    2 Tablespoons of tomato paste

    1 Tablespoon of sugar

    1 Tablespoon dried thyme

    1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

    2 bay leaves

    2 Tablespoons of olive oil

    1 large onion, chopped

    2 cups of peeled and chopped (1/2 inch dice) carrots and/or parsnips

    1 cup of chopped celery

    ½ pound of mushrooms,

    3 pounds of Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (about 7 cups)

    Season the meat with the salt and pepper; set aside to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).  Transfer the meat to a zip top bag; add the flour, seal the bag and toss to coat.

    Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium high heat. Working in batches, add the beef to the pan. Take care not to crowd the pan or the meat will steam and not brown. Cook the meat, turning with tongs until the meat is well browned on all sides.  Remove the beef to a plate to rest while you cook the rest of the meat.

    Add the garlic to the pan and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Return the beef, along with any juices that have collected, to the Dutch oven. Add the stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

    Bring the stew to a simmer; reduce the heat to the lowest setting and then cover. Cook, barely simmering for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

    In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat; add the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté the vegetables until the onions are golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

    When the meat has simmered for one hour, add the sautéed vegetables to the pot; add the mushrooms and potatoes. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Simmer, uncovered until the vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes.  Discard the bay leaves and spoon off any extra fat.

    Irish Soda Bread

    Yield: 1 loaf

    4 cups of all-purpose flour

    1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar

    1 level teaspoon of salt

    1 teaspoon of baking soda

    1 cup raisins, currants or golden raisins

    1 ¼ to 1½ cups of buttermilk

    1 egg, lightly beaten

    Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

    Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl; add the fruit and mix well.  Make a well in the center and pour most of the milk in at once, with the egg. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet or sticky.  When it all comes together, turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up.  Pat the dough into a round about 1 ½ inches deep and cut a deep cross into the top to let out the fairies.

    Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400°F and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the loaf. If it is cooked, it will sound hollow.

  • Bulldogs outdo Griffins in region opener

    Chris Simmons (6) attempts to make the pickoff at second base.

    WINNSBORO- A superb pitching performance by Devin Beckley, the Camden ace, helped the Bulldogs edge out Fairfield Central 8-2, in the Griffins’ region opener. Beckley, a Citadel commit, stormed his way to a complete game in which he struck out 10, and only gave up five hits.

    “That pitcher is probably one of the best in the state, he’s college brand” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “That kind of baseball game you have to win it 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, you don’t win that game 9-8. I’m proud of the way we competed in spots, and some of our guys did a great job getting the bat head to the ball.”

    Lindsay Pierce, just the second batter of the day, lined in a double for the Bulldogs. Beckley, gave himself some run-support when he popped up a sac-fly that brought Pierce around the bases for a run.

    Camden put some more distance between the Griffins and the lead, when they put up two runs in the top of the second. Parker David banged out a RBI-triple and Kyle Currie sacrificed himself with a ground-out to bring David in to score.

    Parker David was a home-run shy of completing the cycle, and in the process had himself a three-RBI night.

    Chris Simmons picked up the Griffins’ first hit with a big triple that nearly made it over the center-field fence, and he scored when Montavious Thompson collected a RBI-single. Thompson’s single would be Fairfield’s last hit until the seventh and final inning.

    The Bulldogs added some padding to their lead in the third and fourth. An error cost the Griffins a run in the third, and in the fourth Camden scored two-more runs, after leading off the inning with a pair of doubles.

    Again in the fifth, Camden’s red-hot offense struck for another run. Parker David picked up his third-RBI when he knocked in first-baseman William Cobb, after Cobb was walked earlier in the inning.

    The sixth inning was the only inning that Camden did not manage to push a run across the plate, but they picked it back up in the seventh. A Griffins’ error allowed Lindsay Pierce to score in the top of the seventh, and that left the Griffins down by seven with just three-outs left to play with.

    “I feel like we had a chance if we don’t make little simple mistakes,” Dean said. “On defense, the first ball that they put into play rolled to the fence for a triple and they get a run out of that, and we staring at 1-0 deficit already and good teams you ain’t going to be able to compete like that. We just let our opportunity go.”

    Harvey Smith, a pinch hitter, led off the final inning with a double for Fairfield, but Beckley stayed poised and picked up two quick outs. Montavious Thompson picked up his second RBI-single of the game when he knocked Smith in, but Breckley ended the game with a groundout, just two-pitches later.

    FCHS:0-0-1-0-0-0-1-2

    CH: 1-2-1-2-1-0-1-8

    Pitching: FCHS: Antonio Jackson (L), 5IP, 6H, 7R, 6ER, 2BB. Stanley McManus- 2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 2K, 0BB. CH: Devin Beckley (W), CG, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 10K, 2BB.

    Hitting: 1B- Montavious Thompson (2), Travious Williams (FCHS); Nick Butler, Lindsay Pierce, Parker David (CH). 2B- Harvey Smith (FCHS); Lindsay Pierce, William Cobb, Brady White, Parker David (CH). 3B- Chris Simmons (FCHS); Parker David.

    LOB: FCHS-6 CH-4

  • Dreher takes first win over Redhawks

    Branden May (18) toed the mound for the Redhawks against the Dreher Blue-devils.

    For the first two innings against Dreher Friday night, the Westwood baseball team was perfect.

    The same could not be said for the next five innings of the Redhawks’ season opener, which was a 7-1 defeat to the Blue Devils at the Westwood baseball field.

    “We lost focus, and that’s what we’re working on,” Redhawks head coach Jonathan Burroughs said. “We’ve got to be mentally tough enough to not let that lack of focus happen. It’s a huge part of this game.”

    The Redhawks got to Dreher starting pitcher Matt Campbell early.

    Matthew Oxendine singled to lead off the game, but was out at second when Anthony LaCola bunted. LaCola moved to third by the time Bryce Henson lined out for the second out, and scored on a wild pitch as Campbell faced Rashawn Green.

    Green was hit by a Campbell pitch, but Ethan Barton flied out to end the inning. Meanwhile, Westwood starting pitcher Brandon May worked two clean innings, striking out four.

    “He was pitching well,” Burroughs said. “He was pretty much shoving it through the first two innings.”But the Redhawks’ 1-0 lead didn’t go past the third inning.

    The Blue Devils led off the third with back-to-back singles from Ryan Campbell and Eddie Mattocks. Hunter Mullinax moved them to second and third base on a fielder’s choice, and then May created some of his own trouble.

    He hit both Dada Washington, which loaded the bases, and Ethan Mattocks, which scored Ryan Campbell. Then he walked Jay Washington to score Eddie Mattocks.

    Ben Williams fouled out for the second out of the inning, but Dada Washington tagged up at third and rushed into home under the tag to score. Jay Washington ran to second on the play, but was tagged out to end the inning.

    Dreher was up 3-1 by the end of that frame, and Matt Campbell had settled down significantly since his trouble in the first. Campbell went the distance, scattering five hits, striking out eight, walking two, and hitting one.

    The Blue Devils got two runs on two hits and two Westwood errors in the fifth, and two more runs on two hits in the seventh.

    “Dreher’s a well-coached team, they always are,” Burroughs said. “They’re always going to run some good plays and keep you on your toes.”

    May worked four-plus innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He gave up five runs on four hits, issued three walks and hit three batters. He struck out four.

    Brandon Anderson finished out the fifth and went into the seventh, striking out two, walking three, and gave up two runs on two hits and a Redhawks error.

    “But we saw some good things tonight, but we also had 10 walks and hit-by-pitches,” Burroughs said. “You’re not going to beat many people by giving them 10 free baserunners. Throw that in with a base hit here, a misplay there, and here we are, 7-1.”

    Westwood plays three games in as many days next week, hosting Richland Northeast Tuesday, Irmo Wednesday, and traveling to York Thursday.

    “We’ve got a lot we can build on for next week,” Burroughs said.

     

    Dreher            003      020      2          –           7 7 0

     

    Westwood     100      000      0          –           1 5 3

    WP: Matt Campbell LP: Brandon May

    Hitters: Dreher – Ryan Campbell 2-3, Eddie Mattocks 2-3. Westwood – Jab Bennett 3B.

  • Bengals Set Sights on State Title

    Members of the Blythewood High School boys’ basketball squad celebrate their overtime victory over Irmo in Saturday’s Lower State championship game. The Bengals face Upper State champions Dorman for the Class 5A state title at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. (Photo/Jason Arthur)

    COLUMBIA (March 2, 2017) – Blythewood head coach Zeke Washington’s basketball teams all have a similar look.

    They play fast. They run up and down the floor on offense and defense. They put on full presses and punch balls out of opponents’ hands. They do as much as they can to take an early lead and keep holding onto it until the final buzzer.

    “We have to play fast. That’s my thing, what we’ve done throughout the years,” Washington said Monday at the 5A press conference at the High School League office in Columbia. “We’re a motion team, a fast-break team that goes into motion, we like to keep the tempo up.”

    This system was good enough for Washington’s Fairfield Central team to storm through the 1997-1998 season and capture the 3A state championship. In 2004, it was good enough for Washington’s Chester girls’ team to take a 3A crown.

    In his fifth year with the Bengals, Washington prepares to take the team to the 2017 5A state championship game. Blythewood plays Dorman at 8:30 Friday night at the Colonial Center.

    The Bengals (23-5) defeated Irmo 61-50 in overtime to earn the lower state championship Saturday at the Florence Civic Center. Meanwhile, Dorman (22-5) rallied past, then routed Gaffney 61-47 at the Bon Secours Arena in Greenville.

    The two teams, which run similar fast-break styles, overcame challenges in the upper and lower state championships to reach the final game.

    The Cavaliers trailed Gaffney 15-9 after the first quarter, but used steady and solid defensive play over the next two quarters to rally and build a lead on the Indians.

    “I looked in these guys’ eyes and felt like they were confident,” Dorman head coach Thomas Ryan said about his starters, all seniors. “They knew we needed to play better, but they knew that it would start on the defensive end.”

    The Cavaliers took care of business in the second and third quarters, holding Gaffney to one field goal through the second quarter and halfway through the third. In the meantime, Dorman built a 37-26 lead by the start of the fourth.

    “When we held Gaffney to one field goal over 12 minutes, that was big,” Ryan said. “It’s also nice for what you teach and preach, you see it happen. These guys believe it starts from the defensive end. Playing great defense. When we’re able to get up and down and make some shots and play fast, and it can really get fun, but you have to be able to do the dirty work and get stops and rebounds.”

    Blythewood, on the other hand, had their hands full with Region V-5A rival and co-champion Irmo in Florence. Both teams battled through three quarters, but at the start of the fourth quarter the Bengals were up 38-30.

    The Yellow Jackets crept back into the game, and eventually led 48-46 in the final seconds of regulation, before senior Josh Bowers weaved past defenders in the lane and put up a tying shot with 0.2 seconds on the clock.

    In overtime, senior Keith Matthews hit a 3-pointer before Irmo’s only overtime score made it 51-50 Blythewood. A Jacobi Bailey basket and eight foul shots sealed the lower state title win and the trip to Columbia to battle Dorman.

    Playing two region rivals in the postseason, Irmo and Lexington (which Blythewood defeated 74-71 last week), is a reflection of how tough the region is, and has been, for the Bengals.

    “Just playing through that region and the coaches that we have there has prepared us for a moment like this,” Washington said. “Our region is like the ACC. Every night we faced somebody that was very good; great athletes, coached very, very well. It’s like going to a clinic every night.”

    Leading the way for the Bengals has been Tre Jackson, averaging 14.0 points per game, and Robert Braswell, who has 11.2 ppg. But as anyone who watches Blythewood play regularly can attest, anyone from the team can contribute and have a big night.

    The starting lineup for the postseason has been Jackson, Matthews, Jonathan Breeland, Kameron Riley and Khalil Shakir-Harris. Within a few minutes of play, Braswell, Bowers, Jacobi Bailey, Savion Dawkins and others can come in.

    Rotations in and out are a regular thing for the Bengals, whom Washington said need to stay fresh while running the pressure offense and defense throughout the game.

    “We’re very similar (to Dorman). They play 10 people, we play 10 people every quarter,” Washington said. “It’s tough to get kids to buy into that, because their parents don’t want them to ever come out of the game.”

    When the system Washington runs brings you to the final game of the season, that criticism subsides.

    “When you have a team like ours, where the kids actually start believing that the system will work, it’s beautiful to see,” he said.

     

  • Residents Beat Back Rezoning Attempt

    Rimer Pond Road residents pack County Council chambers Tuesday evening. (Photo/Barbara Ball)

    COLUMBIA (March 2, 2017) – The third time was not the charm for developer Hugh Palmer Tuesday night when he again came before County Council requesting a Rural Commercial (RC) zoning designation for a 5.23-acre parcel he owns at the intersection of Rimer Pond Road and Longtown Road West in Blythewood.

    After almost an hour of passionate pleas from 30 or so residents in the Rimer Pond Road/LongCreek Plantation area asking Council to deny Palmer’s request to bring commercial zoning to their rural neighborhood, the road’s own County Council representative, Gwen Kennedy, made a motion to approve Palmer’s request. When Chairwoman Joyce Dickerson, who also represents a portion of Blythewood, called for a second, Council fell silent and the motion died for lack of a second.

    Dickerson then called for a second motion for denial and 10 of the 11 Council members raised their hands to deny Palmer’s request with Kennedy casting the lone vote against the motion for denial.

    Dickerson called for a break in the proceedings as the crowd of more than 100 residents, hugging and congratulating each other, left the chamber, leaving it almost empty.

    During the Hearing, Palmer sat with his son, Patrick Palmer, a member of the Richland County Planning Commission, and lobbyist Boyd Brown who told Council members he was there to help Hugh Palmer win their votes. Patrick Palmer recused himself earlier in February when the issue came before the Commission. The issue when before the Commission ended in a tie vote that resulted in no recommendation being sent to Council.

    Hugh Palmer has brought his rezoning request before Council twice previously, both times facing hundreds of residents in opposition, including Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross. In June of 2015 Palmer withdrew his request when it was apparent that he did not have the votes. Later that year, in November, Council denied the request with a 5-5 tie vote.

    Hugh Palmer was on fire Tuesday night as he warned Council members during his two minutes at the microphone that his request was the victim of misinformation being spread on Facebook.

    “I’m not proposing a landfill, a sewage treatment plant, a large grocery store or shopping center as some have claimed,” Palmer said.

    While those claims had not been made by anyone during public hearings at either the Planning Commission or County Council, he did not say who made them or where they were made.

    “I propose small retail development that would serve the needs of and be convenient to the surrounding area, to the people that already travel this area every day,” he said. “This area is changing, whether these folks in here like it or not.”

    Palmer told Council his request falls within the boundaries of the County’s land use plan, has County staff’s approval and meets Rural Commercial (RC) standards.

    “Those should be the questions that matter here tonight,” he said, dismissing the pleas of those present who live in the area.

    While Brown, speaking for Palmer’s rezoning request, held up a petition that he said was signed by 125 people in the community who supported the rezoning, some opponents of the rezoning frequently reminded Council that the 125 petitioners didn’t show up at the hearing. County Council does not accept petitions.

    Although Palmer told Council the goal of his request was to bring commercial conveniences to the neighborhood, speaker after speaker repeated, “We don’t want it. We don’t need it.”

    “We enjoy the rural setting,” Christopher Henchy of Eagles Glen said. “No one on Rimer Pond Road wants commercial development on our road.”

    Fifteen-year resident Kathy Johnson spoke against the rezoning and related an anecdote of how her car’s low fuel light came on at the intersection where Palmer is seeking rezoning.

    “I was close enough to Blythewood that I was able to drive three miles to get gas before I ran out. I think we’ll be OK,” Johnson assured Council.

    LongCreek Plantation resident Jay Thompson challenged County staff’s approval of the request and their conclusion that RC zoning was compatible with the Palmer property.

    “RC zoning is not compatible with the Rimer Pond Road land use plan,” Thompson said. “The nearest RC zoning is to the west of Blythewood on Winnsboro Road.”

    To make his point that commercial zoning would bring crime to the Rimer Pond Road area, Trey Hair handed out to Council members neighborhood crime maps off the internet that showed only a handful of crimes committed in a one-mile radius of Rimer Pond Road over a one-year period. A map of the same time frame and radius of a nearby commercial intersection was almost solid with symbols showing where crimes had been committed.

    “RC zoning is described by the County as serving areas that are isolated or underserved,” Rimer Pond Road resident Ken Queen said. “We are neither. We have everything we need within three miles. One person’s wants and desires should not take precedent over hundreds of people who live in this community and oppose (this zoning),” he said.

    The neighborhood’s representative in the State House, Joseph McEachern, spoke supporting the residents in their fight against the commercial rezoning.

    Because the request was denied, it is not eligible to come back to Council for a year.