Friday playoff roundup: Red Devils advance in district; Raiders stay alive; Saints eliminated

The Clinton softball team took a big step toward the Class 2A Upper State District 2 championship Friday with a 4-1 road win over top-seeded Buford.

Clinton, seeded second, remained in the winner’s bracket, while Buford was sent into the elimination bracket. Buford will play Landrum Monday in an elimination game. The Cardinals defeated High Point Academy 14-3 Friday.

The Red Devils will host the Buford-Landrum winner Wednesday and will have to be beaten twice to be eliminated.

After giving up Buford’s only run in the first inning, Clinton manufactured all of its runs in fourth inning.

Sierra Templeton got the Red Devils on the board, reaching on an error that scored two runs. Carlee Nabors later scored from third on a wild pitch, and Templeton scored on a Micah Snelgrove groundout.

Buford out-hit the Red Devils 6-4, but Red Devils pitcher Me-Me Smith struck out four and walked none in the complete game, shutting out the Yellow Jackets for the final six innings.

In addition to Templeton’s 2 RBI, Halleigh Luke had the game’s only extra-base hit with a double from the lead-off spot.

Raiders stay alive, to face Wren again

Laurens stayed alive in the Class 4A Upper State District B playoffs Thursday with a 16-2 victory at Camden.

The Raiders, the No. 13 overall seed in the Upstate, held the 12th-seeded Bulldogs to just four hits as pitchers Summer Nations, Erin Powell and Neely Stoddard shut down the Camden bats.

The game ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Carly Edwards led the way for LDHS, going 3-for-3 with three doubles and 5 RBI. Zealy Martin went 2-for-2 with four runs scored, Nations went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and two runs scored, and Addison Trevino opened the game with a lead-off home run and went 1-for-4 on the day.

LDHS’s victory sets up a rematch in the elimination bracket with fourth-seeded Wren (18-7), an 11-7 winner over the Raiders (10-14) in the opening round. Camden (10-11) was eliminated with the loss to the Raiders.

Great Falls edges Saints in 9

Great Falls needed nine innings Friday, but the Red Devils finally ended Thornwell’s softball season with a 10-9 victory in the Class 1A Upper State District 2 playoffs.

In the bottom of the ninth, Great Falls’ Blythe McNeal was placed on second base and scored on Allison Olive’s RBI single to end the game.

Olive also scored the game-tying run in the seventh after tagging up on a short pop fly to second base.

The Saints had taken a 9-6 lead with a five-run seventh inning, but the Red Devils answered with three runs to tie the game at 9-9.

Senior Camden Nelson pitched a complete game for the Saints, allowing 10 hits and 10 runs – six earned – in eight innings of work. She walked six and struck out three. Gracie Bair picked up the win for Great Falls (7-11), giving up 12 hits with six walks and eight strikeouts in the complete game.

Nelson also went 3-for-4 with a double and 4 RBI, and Bre Coats went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Karson Waters and Madi Porter drove in two runs apiece for the Saints.

Thornwell ended its season with a 9-12 record.

Saints fall at Horse Creek

Thornwell got off to a fast start with a four-run first inning but ultimately fell 10-6 to Horse Creek Academy Friday in the Class 1A Upper State District 2 baseball playoffs in Aiken.

The loss eliminated the Saints (10-15) from the playoffs.

The Stallions collected 10 hits and scored four unearned runs thanks to two Thornwell errors.

Starting pitcher Sam Robertson gave up eight hits and eight runs – five earned – in four innings of work with four walks and three strikeouts.

Roberts also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles, a run scored and one driven in.

Caleb Vang went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, including a two-run single in the first that put the Saints ahead 4-0.