Laurens’ baseball drops playoff opener; LDHS softball falls
The Laurens Raiders’ baseball team fell behind 4-0 through the first three innings of Tuesday’s SCHSL Class 5A playoff opener, and despite a four-run seventh inning it could not recover as it lost 10-6 at Fort Mill.
Laurens will play at Mauldin in Thursday’s elimination game. The Mavericks lost in extra innings to T.L. Hanna.
Tanner Smith doubled and had two RBI for Laurens, while LUke Willis had two RBI as well. Smith, who started for the Raiders on the mound, allowed six runs (four earned) on three hits in five innings, walking five and striking out six, suffering the loss in the process.
Softball: The Raiders were done in by the error bug in their contest with the Easley Green Wave, with a critical mistake in the eighth inning leading to a 5-4 loss at home Tuesday. The loss means the Raiders will play at Byrnes on Thursday to open the state playoffs.
Easley scored the eventual winning run when, on a successful steal of third base, the Easley runner came home after catcher Kauree Munyan’s attempt to catch the runner stealing ended with a throw that went into left field.
Cassidy Plaia had three hits, outfielder Michaela Smith ahd two hits and two runs scored, Munyan had two hits and an RBI, and Trinity Daniels had two hits and two RBI to help pace the Laurens offense. Rachel Delio suffered the hard-luck loss, allowing eight hits and two walks, striking out 10.
