Chronicle Country Teams Advance in Spring Playoffs

Lexington County teams are in the driver's seat in the South Carolina High School League playoffs. 

Chronicle Country teams representing four of the five highest classifications — Lexington, Airport, Brookland-Cayce and Gray Collegiate — clinched berths in their respective district baseball playoff finals on Thursday. The quartet will await Saturday’s elimination game results to determine their opponents. 

Also advancing Thursday into the third round of the girls soccer playoffs were Chapin and Lexington. Both teams will return to action Saturday.

Baseball

Lexington 7, Ashley Ridge 2 

The winning formula of playing from behind and pulling away continued Thursday for the second-ranked Wildcats.

For the second straight post-season game, Lexington found itself facing an early deficit. This time, the Swampfoxes had taken a 1-0 lead on an Andrew McCaughlin RBI single off starter Cole Long.

He only allowed one hit over his remaining four innings and finished with seven strikeouts. 

The Wildcats quickly answered back in the bottom of the second inning. Landon Knight jumped on The Citadel commit CJ VonSlooteen’s 1-1 pitch for a game-tying solo home run.

Lexington loaded the bases with one out and Tyler Floyd hit a sacrifice fly to score Braden Fournel for the 2-1 lead. 

A leadoff double by Logan Goodwin and single by Floyd kickoff off a three-run fourth inning. Gabe Herold scored Goodwin with a single and an RBI fielder’s choice by Nathan Hall brought home Floyd. 

Long helped his cause with a RBI sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the sixth, Hall drove in two more runs with a single. 

"I'm really proud of these guys," Lexington head coach Brian Hucks said. "Cole Long was outstanding and he did what Cole does. " 

Jake Smith relieved Long in the top of the seventh inning. After allowing a leadoff home run to Cooper Godsave and a double to VanSlooten, he retired the final three batters in order to end the game.

Lexington will await the winner of Saturday’s Wando/Ashley Ridge matchup in Monday’s Class 5A District final at home. 

Airport 6, South Florence 3 

Corbin Wright and Luke Palyok each had two hits, Billy Elswick drove in two runs and John Paul Forrester struck out five after six scoreless innings on the mound to lead the Eagles (21-5).

The Bruins cut the deficit in half in the top of the seventh with a one-out, three-run homer by Landon Matthews. Blake Morrison relieved Forrester and retired the final two batters to end the game.

Airport will await the winner of Saturday’s matchup between May River and South Florence to face Monday in the Class 4A District final.

Gray Collegiate 4, Crescent 2

Savion Smith had a 2-run bunt single and scored on a wild pitch and Brent Stukes struck out 12 batters in 6 ⅓ innings to lead the second-ranked War Eagles into the Class 2A District final.

Smith accounted for all three runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Tigers scored once in the fourth and sixth innings, but an RBI walk by Austin Lloyd provided an insurance run.

Crescent loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and one out. Peyton Starkey relieved Stukes with one out and got the final two outs. 

The War Eagles will await the winner of Saturday’s elimination game between Crescent and Blacksburg on Monday for the final.

Brookland-Cayce 11, Bishop England 5  

University of West Virginia signee Skylar King went 4-4 with five RBI, including a fourth inning grand slam to open up a lead the second-ranked Bearcats did not relinquish.

King also had seven of his team’s 10 strikeouts to pick up the victory. 

Parker Mergo drove in two runs and Jordan Gibbs went 2-3 with an RBI. 

Brookland-Cayce will await the winner of Saturday’s elimination game between the Bishops and Lake City. It will play host to the Class 3A District final Monday. 

Gilbert 10, Brookland-Cayce 2 

Chance Jennings went 2-3 with four RBI, including a three-run homer, and Nathan Reynolds and Dylan Massey both had two RBI as the defending Class 3A champions stayed alive in the Class 3A playoffs. 

Gilbert will now travel to Georgetown Saturday for an elimination game. The winner visits Lakewood on Monday for the Class 3A District final. 

Summerville 10, Dutch Fork 3

Blake Martin had a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the third, but the Green Wave answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull away for the win.

Dutch Fork will travel Saturday to St. James for the elimination game. The winner then visits Summerville for the Class 5A District final Monday.

Berkeley 4, River Bluff 3

The batting heroics of Todd Hudson with two home runs and three RBI had the Gators in position to upend the top-seed Stags. 

In the bottom of the seventh with a runner aboard, Clemson commit Jackson Proctor ended those hopes. His walkoff two-run homer pulled Berkeley into the Class 5A District final. 

River Bluff will now play host to Socastee for a second time in the postseason Saturday in an elimination game. The winner goes to Berkeley Monday. 

Abbeville 13, Batesburg-Leesville 3 (6 innings) 

Gavin Parrish went 2-3 and he, Tucker Bolen and Trever Jeffcoat all drove in runs for the Panthers in the winner’s bracket loss.

The Panthers will play host to Chesnee Saturday in an elimination game. The winner goes to Abbeville Monday for the Class 2A District final. 

Woodland 14, Pelion 3

The Panthers will play host to Edisto Saturday in an elimination game. The winner then visits Woodland Monday in  the Class 2A District final.

Girls Soccer 

Lexington 2, Ashley Ridge 1

Wando 1, River Bluff 0 

For the second consecutive year, the Lady Wildcats are headed to the third round of the Class 5A playoffs. 

Rosie Kannamer put Lexington up 1-0 in the first half. After the Lady Swampcats tied the match before halftime, Bryce Powers gave the Lady Wildcats the lead with 12:08 left off the assist from Kylie Mcllravy.

Up next is a trip to Mount Pleasant Saturday to face Wando. The Lady Warriors ended the season for River Bluff in a 1-0 home victory. 

Chapin 4, Fort Dorchester 0 

The Lady Eagles will play host to St. James in the third round of the Class 5A Lower State playoffs Saturday. 

Gray Collegiate 2, Dixie 1

The Lady War Eagles will play host to either Southside Christian or Landrum Saturday in the third round of the Class 2A Lower State playoffs. 

Bishop England 9, Gilbert 0

The Lady Indians finished the season with a 16-6 record. 

Camden 7, Brookland-Cayce 0