Last season saw 4 of the 5 current Region 5-5A teams play for S.C. High School League Lower State titles.

With the addition of last year’s Class 4A champion Chapin, it appears the 1 team overlooked in conversation is White Knoll.

“They talk about us, but for not the right reasons,” Timberwolves head coach Blake Roland said. “Not great reasons. Some sources in the state have us finishing last in the region based off of last year’s results. That’s fair. But, these kids work hard every day and we just try to control what we can control. So, hopefully, if we do the right things long enough for most of the year, we’ll have people talking about us for the right reasons.”

The 2019 season opened in mixed fashion Thursday for White Knoll. It held off Newberry 7-5 in 6 innings to win the opening game of the 11th annual Red Bank Invitational.

Although the host school, the Timberwolves were the visiting team against the Bulldogs. They jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first 3 innings, 2 of the runs coming off the bat of Jacob Bannister.

White Knoll led 6-2 in the 6th when Newberry scored 3 runs off winning pitcher Alex Lyon to draw within a run. The Timberwolves answered with a Matt Dolley RBI single in the 6th and Ethan Murray struck out 2 in an inning of scoreless relief.

The contest saw both teams combine for 7 errors, 4 by White Knoll.

““I think both teams are probably a little anxious,” Roland said. “Us a little more than them.

That was our 1st game. First varsity game for (Lyon). He did well the first 2 innings and then, he left his curveball up and they could hit anything that he left over the belt. So, defensively, we panicked a little bit in situations. But, 1st game jitters is what we’ve chalked that up to.

“Ethan Murray did a great job coming in that last inning and throwing strikes,  breaking balls for strikes. That’s always nice to get the last 3 outs."

White Knoll returned to action hours later and played South Aiken to a 4-4 tie. The Timberwolves took a 3-0 lead in the bottom 3rd. After a leadoff double, Nick Keller scored on a catcher's error, Andon Dodds scored on an RBI single by Dima Busby and starting pitcher Reign Lybrand doubled home a run.
The Thoroughbreds got on the board in the Top 4th on an RBI single. They loaded the bases with 2 outs on Lybrand, but he escaped trouble with a strikeout for the 3rd out. White Knoll added a run in the 5th when Busby scored on a wild pitch.

The Thoroughbreds rallied for 3 runs in the Top 6th to deadlock the game.  The Timberwolves loaded the bases in the Bottom 6th, but were unable to score. Nevertheless, both teams advanced to Friday's semifinals with Cane Bay and Brookland-Cayce. 

RBI TOURNAMENT

THURSDAY'S RESULTS 

Brookland-Cayce 10, Lakewood 2
Reed Charpia and Micha Shivers each drove in 2 runs and had 2 hits to lead the Bearcats Thursday.
After Micha Shivers opened the game by reaching base on a hit pitch, Charpia homered over the leftfield wall to put Brookland-Cayce ahead. The Bearcats added another run in the inning and added 2 more each in the 2nd and 3rd innings.
Xavier Pelzer and Tanner Staton also had 2 hits and an RBI for Brookland-Cayce.
Winning pitcher Adam Krissinger allowed 4 hits and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. 

Cane Bay 7, Brookland-Cayce 3
The Cobras improved to 2-0 in the tournament and advanced to Friday's semifinal with the victory over the Bearcats.

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

Newberry vs. Lakewood (Consolation) 1 p.m. 

Brookland-Cayce vs. South Aiken (Semifinal) 3:30 p.m. 

White Knoll vs. Cane Bay 6:15 p.m.