Laurens baseball eliminated while LDHS, CHS softball fall
It was a rough night all around for the area baseball and softball teams that took part in postseason games Thursday, while one other baseball team awaits word on whether it will be in the playoffs.
The Laurens Raiders’ baseball team was eliminated from the SCHSL Class 5A playoffs Thursday night in an 11-1, five-inning loss to the Mauldin Mavericks. Laurens got its only run in the third inning, but Mauldin rocked starter Nick Robertson for eight runs in the bottom of the inning, giving up a two-run homer and a grand slam in the process.
Mauldin wrapped the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to trigger the mercy rule and, ultimately, end the Raiders’ season.
Softball: The Laurens Raiders were facing a daunting task in taking on the Byrnes Rebels in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, but they couldn’t have thought it would’ve gone this bad.
Byrnes scored three runs in the first, 10 runs in the second, and eight runs in the third, which proved more than enough to drop the Raiders, 21-0, in four innings. Laurens got one hit in the contest, a two-out single from Vanessa Harshaw in the top of the third.
Kasey Widmyer got the victory for Byrnes, allowing the one hit in three innings. Widmyer struck out four. At the plate, Byrnes’ Molly Mattas tripled and homered, driving in seven runs. Widmyer and Haylee Whitesides also homered in the game for the Rebels.
Rachel Delio took the loss, allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on seven hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Laurens will travel to Nation Ford in an elimination game Friday night. Nation Ford lost to Blythewood, 8-5. The game will start at 6:30 p.m.
Clinton’s softball team lost to Chesnee, 13-1 in five innings, in its first game of the Class 3A playoffs. Nigeria Johnson had the lone RBI for Clinton in the third inning on a grounder to third.
Clinton hosts Fairfield Central Saturday after it lost to Crescent in the other first-round game. The game starts at 10 a.m.
Laurens Academy: The LA baseball team knocked off W.W. King Thursday, 8-6, in the final game of the regular season.
By winning the game the Crusaders take third place in the region, and now must wait to see if they were able to qualify for the SCISA playoffs. The brackets are expected to be announced Friday.
LA’s softball team lost its game to W.W. King, 21-1.
