Playoff roundup: Red Devils win district softball title, advance to Upper State

Clinton won the second game of a doubleheader over top-seeded Buford Wednesday to win the Class 2A Upper State District 2 softball championship and advance to the Upper State round.

The Red Devils will host Chesnee (20-7) in the as the Upper State round begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Chesnee defeated North Central 6-0 Wednesday to advance. Saluda and Ninety Six complete the Upper State bracket and face one another Friday.

Buford defeated Clinton 11-9 to force an elimination game Wednesday, but the Red Devils found their bats after falling behind 10-0, scoring all nine of their runs over the final three innings.

In the second game, Buford again jumped out to an early leady, taking a 2-0 advantage in the second inning, but Clinton erupted for three runs in the fourth to take the lead, which the Red Devils padded with a Me-Me Smith solo home run in the fifth and an Addie Watkins three-run homer in the sixth.
Smith, who took the loss in the opener, came on in relief of starter Sierra Templeton and picked up the win in the Clinton victory.

Smith, who pitched 3 1/3 innings and took the loss in Game 1, walked one and struck out six in the circle while going 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI.

Watkins went 2-for-3 with the home run and a double and driving in four runs. Sophie Young went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, and Halleigh Luke went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases for the Red Devils (19-5).

In the first game – the 11-9 loss – Camryn Campbell went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Luke went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, three runs scored and 2 RBI. Alyssa Young went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Smith went 1-for-4 and drove in three runs.

Red Devils to host Chesnee

The Upper State baseball championship round is set to begin today (Thursday, May 14) for Clinton.

The Red Devils (25-3) will host Chesnee (21-10) at 6:30 p.m. Batesburg-Leesville and Landrum will face off in the other half of the bracket Friday.