Andrews beats East Clarendon 5-1` to reach AA Lower State finals

Andrews—East Clarendon High Schol out-hit Andrews 6-5 on May 20 on the road in the AA Lower State softball semifinals, but the Yellow Jackets took advantage of two errors and six walks to come out on top 5-1 to they advance to play Chesterfield on Friday in the Lower state finals.

Joy Weisner is the Andrews head coach, and she told High School Sports Report after the game: “What we have tried to do all season is take advantage of any opportunities a team gives us. We hit the ball better today and that is very important.”

Andrews last won a state title in 20218.

Andrews had five players earning All-Region honors. They are centerfielder Sarah Jennings, pitcher Addyson Davis, who will also play in the North-South game, junior catcher Chloe Skipper, who was the Region Most Valuable Player, senior outfielder Addison McCants and talented sophomore shortstop Tori Smith.

Andrews lost to Chesterfield 7-3 on May 18.

        “We have to hit the ball better when we go to them this Friday,” said Weisner. “We didn’t hit the ball well at all this past Monday when we played Chesterfield. We hit the ball well today, so we just have to keep that momentum going into Friday.

“We have to go to Chesterfield and beat them twice. We have to play some of our best softball this season in order to do that, so I hope we are focused. We need to start the game with momentum and end the game with momentum when we play at Chesterfield."

East Clarendon head coach Jason Newsome closed out his third season with a 25-8 record with the loss.

        “I thought our pitcher (Addyson Davis) hung tough today and she is just a freshman and she has been learning by fire all year long,” said Newsome. “She is extremely talented and she is a good pitcher now, but she is going to be an even better pitcher in the future.

“In the playoffs the margin of error is very thin and the mistakes we made, they took advantage of. On the other hand, the mistakes they made and the opportunities they gave us, we didn’t take advantage of them and that was a key in the game. They did a good job of keeping us off balance.”

All-Region 7 players from EC included Region POY Peyton Hanniford, Bailey Hicks, Riley Atkinson, Layke Jeffords, and Zoey Culick.

The score was tied 0-0 until the bottom of the third when Andrews scored four runs. Karaline Gainey singled to start the inning and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Stump. Sarah Jennings next singled to left field, advancing Gainey to third. Torian Smith drew a walk to load the bases before Jenna Cook hit a ball deep into the corner down the first base line that resulted in an inside the park grand slam.

Andrews added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Briana Walker singled and advanced on a single by Gainey. Stump was then Hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jennings then hit an RBI ground out that brought in Walker to account for the Yellow Jackets’ five runs.

East Clarendon’s lone run came in the fifth inning. Linsey Robinson had a leadoff triple, and she scored two batters later on a ground put by Megan Brown.