Playoff roundup: LA, Red Devils notch baseball wins

Both Clinton and Laurens Academy picked up playoff victories Tuesday in home games.

Clinton defeated Liberty 6-1 in the Class 2A Upper State District 2 opener for both teams, while LA scored nine runs in the fifth inning to rally past Dorchester Academy 11-9 in Game 2 of its best-of-three SCISA Class 2A semifinal series.

Laurens Academy 11, Dorchester Academy 9

Host LA rallied from a 9-2 deficit win a nine-run fifth inning, and Evan Asalone pitched 2 1/3 innngs of scoreless relief to pick up the win for the Crusaders.

The best-of-three series shifts back to Dorchster Academy Thursday for a deciding Game 3 with the winner advancing to the SCISA 2A finals.

The Crusaders loaded the bases in the fifth and got a combination of key RBI singles, walks and two Dorchester errors to plate nine runs.

LA took a 10-9 lead on a Caleb Hardy single to left that scored Riley Whittaker. Asalone’s RBI single scored Wyatt Little and gave the Crusaders an insurance run.

The third-seeded Crusaders (13-7) survived six errors that led to three unearned runs. Seven of LA’s runs in the decisive fifth were unearned.

Little led LA at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Hardy and Asalone had two hits and 2 RBI apiece for the Crusaders.

Clinton 6, Liberty 1

Isaac Cain allowed three hits and struck out eight in six innings as Clinton opened the Class 2A District 2 playoffs Tuesday.

Second-seeded Clinton advances to face top-seeded Central Thursday in Pageland in the District 2 winners’ bracket . Central defeated No. 5 Blacksburg 18-4 to advance.

The Red Devils spotted Cain three-run lead after three innings, and got insurance runs in the sixth on a two-run double by

Camden Finley and a run-scoring single by Luke Young.

Finley went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored, while Jaydon Glenn went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base.

Other local playoff news:

• Clinton’s historic girls soccer season came to an end Tuesday with a 5-0 opening-round loss to Greenville Tech Charter at Wilder Stadium.

GTC scored all five of its goals in the first half.

The Red Devils (16-4) won the first region championship in program history this past season.

• Thornwell baseball opened the Class 1A District 2 playoffs Tuesday with a 26-1 loss at McBee.

The Panthers scored 19 runs in the first inning. The game ended after three innings.

The No. 5 Saints (10-13) fall to the elimination bracket where they will face No. 1 Horse Creek Thursday in Aiken. No. 4

Lamar upset Horse Creek 11-8 Tuesday.

• Wren defeated Laurens 11-7 Tuesday in the opening round of the Class 4A Upper State District B playoffs.

The No.4-seeded Hurricanes appearked to break open a 2-2 game with five runs in the fourth inning, but the No. 13 Raiders answered, tying the game at 7-7 in the top of the fifth on Carly Edwards’ three-run homer.

Edwards went 1-for-3 with 3 RBI, and Zealy Martin went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI. Sadie Carlisle went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.

Wren scored four runs in the home fifth to advance into the winners’ bracket. LDHS falls into the elimination bracket and will travel to No. 12 Camden Thursday.

• Clinton is to host Landrum in the Class 2A Upper State District 2 softball playoffs at 6 p.m. today (May 6).

• Thornwell is to travel to Lamar as the Class 1A Upper State District 2 softball playoffs begin today (May 6).