Playoff Roundup: Raiders, Red Devils open district playoffs with wins

* Baseball: Raiders hold on; Red Devils dominate again; LA downed

* Softball: LDHS stifled by Westside

* Girls Soccer: Clinton scores shutout vs. Berea

Update: Raiders 9 head to Catawba Ridge; Red Devils host Pendleton

ANDERSON – Laurens held off a seventh-inning rally by host Westside for a 7-6 victory Tuesday in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs.

The Raiders (14-12), the No. 3 seed from Region 2-4A, are to travel Thursday to Catawba Ridge for next round of the Class 4A Upper State District 3 playoffs. Catawba Ridge defeated Westwood 13-6 Tuesday.

LDHS took a 7-3 lead into the seventh inning but the Rams managed three runs. Mykah Clark hit a two-out,  two-run double in the seventh to cut the Raiders’ lead to 7-6.

Reliever Josh Hughes got Quincy McFadden to line out to third base to end the game with the Clark representing the tying run on third base.

The Raiders did all their damage in two innings – a three-run second inning that put LDHS up 3-1 and a four-run fourth, spotting LDHS starter Jackson Edwards a 7-1 lead.

In the fourth, Thomas Willis hit a bases-loaded, two-out double that scored three runs, including what proved to be the game-winner as LDHS led 7-1.

Edwards, a North Greenville signee, went 4 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking eight and picked up the win. He gave up three runs, two of them earned before giving way to Hughes in the fifth with the bases loaded. Hughes picked up the save.

Westside pitchers Ethan Barbee and Tyler Scott held LDHS to four hits, but the Rams also committed two errors. Barbee started the game, hit three batters and walked one. Scott, who pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, walked three.

At the bottom of the LDHS order Bennett Edwards hit a RBI triple, and Coleman Coker went 1-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI.

Baseball: Clinton 15, Berea 0

The Red Devils opened the Class 3A state tournament with a 15-0 victory over visiting Berea Tuesday night.

The game was shortened to four innings due to the 15-run mercy rule.

Clinton (23-4) will face Pendleton, an 11-1 winner over Fairfield Central, as the Class 3A Upper State District 2 playoffs continue Thursday.

Starting pitcher Jaylin Alexander and reliever Preston Finley combined on a one-hitter for the Red Devils, who have outscored their past five opponents by a combined score of 67-4.

Clinton scored five runs in each of the first two innings.

Lead-off hitter Zach Fortman went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, and Caleb Taylor went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Davis Wilson went 2-for-2 and scored three runs.

The Region 3-3A champion Red Devils bedeviled Berea on the base paths, swiping 11 bases over three innings.

Girls Soccer: Clinton 5, Berea 0

Lauren Wargo scored two goals to lead the Red Devils to a 5-0 opening-round playoff victory over Berea Tuesday night at Wilder Stadium.

Sydney Miner, Morgan Benson and Erin Donley added goals for Clinton, the No. 2 seed from Region 3-3A.

With the win, the Red Devils (12-4) advance to face West-Oak Thursday night. West-Oak (7-7), the No. 4 seed from Region 1-3A, upset Region 4-3A champion Mid-Carolina Tuesday.

Baseball: Andrew Jackson 6, Laurens Academy 3

EHRHARDT – Andrew Jackson handed visiting Laurens Academy an opening-round loss in the SCISA Class 1A state playoffs Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Cal Robertson went six innings for the Crusaders, striking out four. Robertson and Kyle Thompson recorded two hits apiece for LA.

No. 3 LA is to host No. 5 Community Christian Academy Wednesday in an elimination game. Patrick Henry Academy defeated Community Christian 15-0 Monday.

Softball: Westside 11, LDHS 0

ANDERSON – Host Westside cruised to a shutout victory over Laurens as district play began Tuesday night in the Class 4A state tournament.

The game was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

The Raiders, the No. 3 seed from Region 2-4A, will face the loser of Wednesday’s Catawba Ridge-Westwood game Saturday.