Pinewood Prep wins SCISA AAA state baseball title
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
North Charleston – Twenty-seven years ago, Stall High School won the class AAA state baseball title, coached by Jerry Stoots.
The starting second baseman on that team was a skinny sophomore named Phillip Tobin. more>>

Holly Hill Academy Wins First-Ever Baseball Title
By Mike Reed
Special Writer
St. Matthews  - The Raiders of Holly Hill Academy won their first state championship with a 2-1 victory over Williamsburg Academy May 18.
Senior pitcher Johnathan McWaters, gutted out a complete game one-hitter and ... more>>

Holly Hill plays Williamsburg In Game Three Finale At Calhoun Academy
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
St. Mathews--The third and deciding game between Holly Hill Academy and Williamsburg Academy (27-10) will be played at 6:30 Thursday at Calhoun Academy after the Stallions forced a third game with a 5-0 win over the Raiders Wednesday night. more>>

Gilbert baseball completes run to AA state title
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Gilbert – From start to finish, the Gilbert Indians were the best baseball team in class AA. Gilbert completed its run for a state championship on May 16th, beating Hanahan, 3-2, to sweep the AA championship series in two games. more>>

Marlboro Academy Nips Thomas Heyward, 3-2 to Take AA SCISA Softball Title
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Ridgeland--Marlboro Academy (24-4) scored all three of their runs in the third inning to defeat Thomas Heyward, 3-2 to claim the SCISA AA softball title On May, 16 in Ridgeland. more>>

Northwood closes out sweep of Laurence Manning for SCISA AAA softball title
Manning – Withstanding a bottom of the seventh inning challenge from Laurence Manning, the Northwood Academy softball team held on for a 7-4 win to capture the SCISA AAA state championship, sweeping the best of three series in two games. more>>

Northwood forces game three with thrilling 2-1, 10 inning win over Pinewood Prep
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Summerville – In one of the grittiest pitching efforts of the 2012 season, Northwood Academy senior right-hander Ryan Trout logged all 10 innings on the mound and helped propel the Chargers to a 2-1 win over Pinewood Prep in the SCISA Class AAA state championship baseball series on Tuesday night. more>>

Raiders Hold Off Late Charge By Stallions to Lead Series 1-0
By Mike Reed
Special Writer
Kingstree, SC- Threatening skies could not keep away the overflow crowd in Kingstree on Tuesday night for the opening game of the SCISA AA state championship series between the Stallions of Williamsburg Academy (24-8), and the visiting Raiders of Holly Hill Academy (20-7). more>>

Big First Inning Propels Gilbert By Hanahan, 8-3 In AA Baseball Finals 
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Hanahan--Gilbert's Collins Shirley hit  a first inning grand slam against Hanahan in the AA baseball best of three finals Monday night as the Indians went on to defeat the Hawks 8-3. more>>

Pinewood Prep tops Northwood Academy, 7-3, in game one of AAA baseball title series
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
North Charleston – Junior ace J.D. Waite gave a complete game effort on the mound and senior Jack Buddin belted a go-ahead homerun in the sixth as Pinewood Prep defeated Northwood Academy, 7-3, in game one of the best of three SCISA AAA championship series on Monday night. more>>

SCISA Sets Softball Championship Matchups

By Mike Reed
Special Writer

Lexington - The South Carolina Independent School Association held their annual Softball tournament this weekend to determine who would play for the state championships in each of the three divisions this coming week.

In the Class A division, Wardlaw Academy will be playing for their eighth straight championship, facing Lady Saints of Clarendon Hall. The first game will be in Johnston on Monday. The teams will move to Summerton on Tuesday, and a third and final game will be at a neutral site on Wednesday, if needed.

In class AA, while there were a few surprises during the tournament, the final two are really no surprise at all. The top two seeds of the tournament, Thomas Heyward Academy from Ridgeland and Marlboro Academy from Bennetsville will vie for the crown beginning at Heyward on Monday.

The Lady Rebels from Thomas Heyward are the defending state champions. They survived an early test from Holly Hill Academy, and defeated last season's opponent in the finals, Colleton Prep, to advance to the title game. While Marlboro got by a surprising Dillon Christian School, and Williamsburg Academy to earn its spot in the title series.

Class AAA will feature two of the dominant softball powers of the past several years in the title series as defending champs Laurence Manning Academy will host Northwood Academy of Summerville on Monday,  and then change locations Tuesday. Again, the “if” game will be at a neutral site on Wednesday.

Florence Christian made things difficult for LMA on Saturday but the Swampcats pulled it out to return to the championship, while Northwood, held off Cardinal Newman to reach the finals.

Cardinal Newman girls’ win second straight AAA soccer title

By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Columbia – Cardinal Newman’s girls’ soccer team fought through plenty of off the field adversity this spring but all was forgotten on May 12 when they captured a second straight SCISA AAA state championship with a 2-0 win over Porter-Gaud in the finals. more>

Northwood tops Oakbrook Prep, 2-1, in AA-A boys’ soccer finals

By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Columbia – Northwood Academy captured the school’s first-ever boys’ soccer title, defeating Oakbrook Prep, 2-1, in the SCISA Class AA-A state championship match held at Stone Stadium on the campus of the University of South Carolina on May 12. more>

Oakbrook Prep edges Beaufort Academy to claim AA/A girls’ soccer title

By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Columbia – Oakbrook Prep rallied from two deficits and captured its second state title in girls’ soccer, claiming a 3-2 win over Beaufort Academy in the SCISA Class AA/A title game on Saturday at Stone Stadium in Columbia. more>

Porter-Gaud outlasts Pinewood Prep, 2-1, to win SCISA AAA Boys’ soccer title

By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Columbia – In his previous five seasons as the boys’ soccer coach at Porter-Gaud, Jeff Hoerner was 0-10 against Pinewood Prep, one of the state’s top SCISA soccer programs. more>

Ashley Ridge captures lower state AAAA baseball title with 2-1 win over Lexington

By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Summerville – Ashley Ridge rallied with a game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh and won with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, advancing to the class AAAA state finals with a 2-1 win over Lexington on Friday night.
The baseball Swamp Foxes, now 28-1, became the first athletic program in the four-year history of the school to reach a state championship level. more>

Dillon Sweeps Hanahan To ClaimLower State AA Softball Title

By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Hanahan—Dillon (27-3) overcame a 2-0 deficit in the top of the 7th in game one against Hanahan (20-5) Friday as freshman Shaquailla German crushed a three run homer over the left center field fence to force a second game in the Lower state AA softball finals. more>

Clarendon Hall Evens Series With Laurens Academy with 3-2 Win

By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Summerton--Clarendon Hall (9-9) pushed a run across in the bottom of the 8^th inning on a wild pitch that scored a run from third giving the Saints a 3-2 win over seven time defending champion Laurens Academy.

A third game will be played today at a neutral site in the Columbia area.

Both teams were a player short stemming from an altercation in their game at Laurens Academy won by the Crusaders 13-3 on Wednesday.

In their second game the Saints scored two runs in the bottom of the first when Kevin Bennett reached on an error and then Waylon Hall was hit by a pitch. Pitcher Justin Beech then singled in Bennett and Hall scored on an RBI ground-out by Kee Evans.

Laurens Academy came back in the 4^th inning to score a run on a single by Hunter Elwood. He later scored on A SAC fly by Caleb Green to cut the lead to 2-1. The Crusaaders sent six batters to the plate in the sixth but managed only one run. Elwood singled and stole second but was tagged out at the plate on great throw by Green from second base, Caleb Sims then hit a Texas leaguer single over the short stops head to score a run that tied the score.

Finally in the bottom of the 8^th Hall doubled with one, took third on a double steal after the batter was intentionally walked, and then Hall scored on the wild pitch.

Hanahan tops Dillon, 5-2; faces Bishop England for AA lower state title on Friday

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Hanahan – Hanahan’s baseball team advanced to the class AA lower state finals for the fourth consecutive year, beating Dillon, 5-2, in an elimination game on Thursday night.

Hanahan will play at Bishop England on Friday for the lower state title. Hanahan would have to beat the Bishops twice to advance.

Senior first baseman Hunter Bessinger gave Hanahan a first inning lead with a two-run homerun on Wednesday night but the game was halted due to heavy storms with two outs in the bottom of the first.

Dillon eighth-grader Dustin Callahan started the game on Wednesday but when the teams returned on Thursday, Dillon put ace Jamie Callahan on the hill. Hanahan quickly added a run before the first inning was completed. Two more runs in the second gave the Hawks a 5-0 lead and senior right-hander Kyle Dyson made it stick.

Dyson, a Charleston Southern signee, allowed five hits and struck out nine in the complete game effort. Dyson improved to 6-1 on the season.

“Kyle got going last night and looked real sharp and he came back out today and was just as good,” said Hanahan head coach Brian Mitchell. “He’s a pitcher. He has a good fastball but he’s a pitcher. He had command of all of his pitches. He never got rattled and kept himself out of trouble.”

Bessinger had two of Hanahan’s four hits in the game. Callahan, a University of South Carolina signee and a projected early round professional pick next month, allowed only one base runner in the final four innings, striking out six.

“We had some momentum last night and I was a little worried about it carrying over, then we get back out here today and they bring their big horse out to the mound,” said Mitchell. “Fortunately we were able to get a run quickly, then we got two more in the next inning. After that, he was pretty much in control.

“He’s a really good pitcher. He throws it up there upper 80’s to low 90’s. He’s legit. I thought once he got going today, he was pretty tough.”

Hanahan and Bishop England have met three times already this season. Hanahan won the first two meetings, clinching the region 7-AA title. Bishop England won, 6-5, in eight innings last Monday, sending Hanahan into elimination mode.

All three games between the two teams were very close games and Mitchell expects nothing less than a battle, or two, on Friday.

“These two teams know each other so well and the players, in many respects, are friends,” said Mitchell. “But they definitely play hard and play to win and so do our kids. We expect a battle but it’s a lot of fun.

“I’ve had all of these kids for the last three and four years and they’ve accomplished so much already. They’ve won three region titles. They are in the lower state finals for the fourth straight time. They have done some great things. We go over there to Bishop England tomorrow and see what happens but regardless of what happens, this group of guys has been very successful.”

Dillon coach Gregg Dozier sees his team’s season end with a 20-5 record. Callahan ends his career with a 7-1 season.

“We had a great year. Of course we’re disappointed with the way it ended but it was a great year,” said Dozier. “We had three seniors. The rest of these guys are underclassmen. We had a great run. We thought we had a chance to keep it going but it didn’t work out.

“Jamie had a great career and I think he showed tonight why he is so highly thought of as a pitcher. He gave it all he had. He wasn’t sharp early but he got it going and pitched great. He gave us a chance. We just couldn’t get any offense going.”

Swampcats take series lead with 8-4 win over Pinewood Prep in SCISA AAA semi-finals
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Summerville – Laurence Manning moved one win away from the SCISA Class AAA state championship series with an 8-4 win over Pinewood Prep in game one of the best-of-three semi-final series on Tuesday night.
Thomas Walker belted a three-run homer and sophomore Linc Powell scattered seven hits in a complete game effort as the Swampcats avenged a 10-0 defeat to the Panthers earlier this season. more>>

College Coaches Invade State of South Carolina As May Evaluation Is In Full Force
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Goose Creek - With the May evaluation period for football in full spring college coaches form all around the nation have been visiting spring football practices so when LSU defensive co-coordinator John Chavis appeared at Pendleton High on May, 1 to observe defensive lineman Michael Hill (6-3, 300) doing drills it created a little spark in the community. more>>

Montei Hoping To Lead Green Wave To Softball Title
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Summerville—Memories….
Are they made through home runs, RBI’s, or the catch over your shoulder in the power ally for the final out of the games we play?
Memories endure and they refresh the soul for a long time. more>>

Why do some colleges in South Carolina Not Recruit This State For Athletes?

Goose Creek--We all have opinions. As a journalist I have many more questions than I have answers. This column is a little different from most that I write. This is something to think about and please feel free to e-mail me with your own thoughts.
The question of the day for me is why do certain college programs in this state, continue to have losing records, and yet they recruit very little within the borders of our state? more>>