Can Gray Collegiate do it in AAAA this year?

Dennis Brunson hssrr.com Associate Editor • April 16, 2025

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After winning AA softball title last year, War Eagles after another two classes higher

Sumter – There is a defending state champion in the AAAA classification when it comes to softball, but it’s not 2-time defending champion Catawba Ridge. The Copperheads moved up to AAAAA due to realignment.

The defending champion in the AAAA ranks is Gray Collegiate Academy, which won the AA title for the third time in four years. The War Eagles made the jump to AAAA due to realignment, but it hasn’t changed how they are perceived.

Gray Collegiate is the top-ranked team in the High School Sports Report AAAA poll.

1. GRAY COLLEGIATE

Gray Collegiate took a 21-1 overall record and a 12-0 record in the 8-team Region 4 into spring break. Who did the Eagles have left to play in the region? A 2-game series with Gilbert, which is 12-0 in the region and ranked third in the HSSR poll.

Gray had two players returning from last year’s AA All-State team in shortstop Aspen Boulware and Maddox Long.

Boulware is having another eye-popping season. Along with a .608 batting average, 27 of her 31 hits were for extra bases, including 14 home runs. She also has seven doubles, six triples, 33 runs batted in and 43 runs scored.

Long was batting .366 with five home runs. Kaley Anderson actually had the highest batting average at .618 to go with seven doubles, a triple and five homers.

Kaylan Boudreau was batting 450, and Na’Veah Matthews was hitting .413.

2. HARTSVILLE

Hartsville was 16-4 overall and owned a 9-1 record in Region 5. The Red Foxes have already played their main competition for the region title, splitting two games with No. 4 South Florence.

Junior catcher Marry Ellyn Hickey is a returning All-State performer. She was hitting .396 with four doubles, three triples and two homers.

Junior Myah Harvey was hitting .593 with five home runs, seven triples and eight doubles among her 35 hits. She has 28 runs batted in and has scored 32 times.

Senior Jaysha McCullough was batting .585, while senior Carter Shumate was batting .524.

3. GILBERT

Gilbert, like Gray, is making the adjustment to AAAA look pretty seamless. The Indians were a solid, but not spectacular, 14-11 in AAA.

Gilbert is 14-1 overall with its only loss coming to AAAAA power Blythewood.

4. SOUTH FLORENCE

South Florence was 15-5 overall, and like Hartsville 9-1 in Region 5.

All-State performer Page White is back. She was batting .400 with 10 doubles. Ryleigh Hux had the highest average at .439 to go with five doubles, a triple and two home runs.

Pitcher Payton Perry is again performing well both in the circle and at the plate. She was batting .409 with four doubles, three triples and two homers while posting a 1.57 earned run average and 87 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings.4

5. A.C. FLORA

A.C. Flora won 13 of its first 17 games, including starting 8-0 in Region 3.

The Falcons are led by freshman Pressli Reyolds, who was selected to the All-State team last season as an eighth-grader.

6. YORK

Like A.C. Flora, York is a member of Region 3. In fact, the Cougars’ two losses in 10 region games came at the hands of Flora.

York, which started 14-3 overall, is getting a strong season from Layla Clayton in the circle. She had a 0.39 earned run average and a 9-1 win-loss record in 53 2/3 innings to go with 88 strikeouts.

The Cougars were hitting .377 as a team led by Riley Comer at an even .500. Junior Marisa Reyes was batting .490 with three homers, six doubles and four triples, while junior Kayla Johnson was at .463 with four dingers.

7. MIDLAND VALLEY

Midland Valley was 11-5 overall with all five of the losses coming in its 10 Region 3 games to date.

Junior Jordan Nelson was leading the Mustangs in hitting with a .444 average. She had five doubles and two home runs. Junior Addison Haltiwanger was battign .432, and senior Bailey Seabolt was hitting at a .395 clip.

8. DARLINGTON

Darlington won 11 of its first 17 games and was 7-2 in Region 5. It had a chance to jumble up the race at the top as it is scheduled to play South Florence on April 15 and Hartsville on April 17.

Junior Emily Johnson and sophomore Carly Gainey are the two big sticks for the Falcons. Johnson was batting .512 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and a team high 22 runs batted in. Gainey owned a .465 average with thee doubles, three triples, two homers an a team high 22 runs scored.

9. SENECA

Seneca won 12 of its first 18 games and was 5-1 in Region 2. The first five losses were twice to Gray Collegiate and once each to AAAAA schools Clover, Gaffney and T.L. Hanna. The region loss was to Pickens, leaving the two with similar region marks.

10. MAY RIVER

May River is a respectable 11-6 overall, but it has played a difficult non-region schedule. The Sharks were terrorizing Region 6 with an 8-0 record.

May River was batting .431 as a team. Leading the way is returning All-State player McKayla Landry. She was batting .553 with a double, a triple, two home runs, 21 runs batted in and 28 runs scored.

Savannah Johns was bating .538, while Addison Roppelt was hitting .47 with seven doubles, three homers and a team high 28 runs batted in.

HSSR Softball AAAA Softball Rankings
(As of 4-12-2025)
1. Gray Collegiate
2. Hartsville
3. Gilbert
4. South Florence