Sports Update: Raiders to play for Upper State title; Scrappy LA eliminated
LDHS pitcher Jordan Hudson (8) hurled a two-hitter in a 5-1 victory over Catawba Ridge Friday as the Raiders advanced to the Class 4A Upper State championship series.
Laurens punched its ticket to the Class 4A Upper State championship series Saturday with a 5-1 victory over Catawba Ridge at Ed Prescott Field.
The Raiders (24-6) will host Easley at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Easley defeated Riverside 7-5 Saturday to advance.
Senior left-hander Jordan Hudson pitched a two-hit gem to eliminate the defending Class 4A state champion Copperheads, striking out 12 and walking three. Hudson’s only mistake was a fastball to Aiden Cattarin in the third inning.
“And he launched it,” Hudson said.
In his last start against Greenwood, Hudson didn’t factor into the decision despite allowing one hit in seven innings in the 1-0 extra-inning victory.
This time, the Raiders wasted no time giving Hudson all the run support he needed.
LDHS put up four runs in the first inning. Zay Pulley led off the game with a double and scored on Bennett Edwards RBI triple down the right field line. Asher Goss followed with a three-run home run to center field that scored Edwards and Hunter Nabors.
LDHS’s Zay Pulley slides second into second base during the Raiders’ 5-1 win over Catawba Ridge Saturday.
Goss, Edwards and Pulley collected two hits apiece for the Raiders, accounting for all six LDHS hits.
“We had a game plan coming in – that’s a good pitcher, and he throws a hard fastball,” said LDHS head coach Tori Patterson. “We wanted to come out and hit the fastball and stay away from the slide because he has a really good slider. Our guys came out and sat on some fastballs early and that kind of set the tone.”
The top of the LDHS order roughed up sophomore Catawba Ridge starter Caden Glauber, who gave up four runs in three innings.
The Raiders were helped by two Copperhead errors that led to two unearned runs.
Catawba Ridge finished its season with a 24-6 record – with two of those losses coming from LDHS.
Cross edges LA in semis
The Laurens Academy SCISA Region 4-1A championship softball team.
The Laurens Academy softball team was stopped short of the SCISA Class 1A state finals Saturday with a 4-3 loss to Cross Schools at Palmetto Park in Florence.
The Crusaders semifinals Saturday morning with a 12-11 win over Wardlaw Academy.
LA (10-6) began the tournament with a bye, but were then downed by Jefferson Davis Academy 17-1 Friday. In their first elimination game, LA downed Richard Winn 10-0 to advance to Saturday morning’s quarterfinals against Wardlaw.
Jefferson Davis and Cross will play in the state championship series next weekend.
