Hanahan hangs on to defeat Fox Creek 9-8

Neill Kirkpatrick • May 20, 2025


By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to HSSR

Hanahan – Nothing in baseball causes a coach more stress than when his pitching staff can’t find the strike zone as was the case for Fox Creek in the second and third innings Monday night as home standing Hanahan took full advantage by scoring 9 runs and then they had to withstand a Fox Creek rally to advance into the lower state final with a 9-8 win.

 

“I’m proud of our guys. We got down five in the second inning but they didn’t hang their heads. We are a young team but these guys never give up, they never stop fighting and they always compete,” said Head coach Skylar Hunter.

 

The Hawks will take on region rival and the HSSR’s second ranked team Oceanside Collegiate (26-5). The teams have played three times this season with the Landsharks winning all three. The Hawks will have to win twice to advance to their eight state championships series and third in a row.

 

Fox Creek ends the season at 23-7. The Predators will also say good bye to nine seniors that were the backbone of back-to-back region and district champions.

 

“I’m proud of this team. They battled to the end and showed a lot of grit all game,” said Head Coach Roby Gillespie. “This senior class has set the precedent for future teams. We tell the guys ‘Good isn’t good enough, strive to be great’ and this team did that every day.”

 

After an uneventful first inning, the Predators came alive in the second. Bradley Anderson led off the inning with a single. After a strikeout, Will Frischmann stepped to the plate and launched a bomb to right center for a two-run tater and a 2-0 lead.

 

Hanahan starter Chris Polm then walked the next three Fox Creek batters. The first batter that walked Jackson Wright was thrown out by the Hawks Hudson Sprovero for the second out of the inning.

 

Caleb Waters had an infield single for Fox Creek to load the bases with two out. Will Fountain would score on an error and then Anderson plated two runs with a single pushing the lead to 5-0.

 

The Hawks would respond in their half of the second with help from Fox Creek starting pitcher Devin Hillary. With one out Hillary walked Wyatt Muirheid. Zac Jimenez singled to put runners on first and second. Hillary then struck out the next batter before he couldn’t find the strike and walked the next three Hanahan which resulted in two runs cutting the Predators lead to 5-2.

 

In the bottom of the third the Hawks would take the lead with a seven-run inning. It started with a lazy fly out to right. Hillary then walked the next two Hawks. Two wild pitches and a passed ball moved both runners up to second and third. Jimenez singled to scored Polm from third and still leaving the bases loaded.



Gunnar Haulbrooks came up next and singled scoring Muirheid and Jimenez and the game was  tied at 5. The inning continued as Tripp Gallus had infield single and Joe Furse walked to load the bases. Sprovero came up next and promptly deposited the ball over the left field fence for a grand slam giving the Hawks a 9-5 lead.

 

Fox Creek’s would bring in their fourth pitcher of the game Audyn Randall, who would get Jimenez to ground out to second base to end the inning.

 

Randall pitched the finals 3 1/3 innings for Fox Creek and shutdown the Hawks offense. He struck out the side in the fourth and gave up only one hit to keep the Predators in the game.

 

“Audyn maybe pitched four or five innings for us all. He came up to me and said coach give me the ball, I know I can throw strikes. He got up there and did his job to keep us in the game,” said Fox Creek coach Gillespie.

 

Meanwhile, Hanahan brought in Haulbrooks in the second inning and he pitched well until the fifth inning.

 

“Gunnar did a good job of settling us down in the middles innings and he also a big hit to bring two runs,” coach Hunter said.

 

The Predators would draw closer to the Hawks as they scored twice to cut the lead to 9-7. Chance Weathersbee singled with one out and moved to second when Wright drew two out walk. Will Fountain would score both runners when he hit a triple into the right field corner.

 

Hillary would cut the lead to one in the top of the sixth when he hit a solo shot over the right centerfield fence and suddenly the Predators were down only one at 9-8.

 

The Hawks made a pitching change after the home run going to lefty Nolyn Nickels. Nickels would walk the first batter he faced but then got the final four outs of the game including striking out the last two batters and the Hawks were headed to the Lower State finals.

 

 

 

 

         

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West, South Softball Teams Looking To Advance

By Dennis Brunson • May 24, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Florence – The West Florence High School softball team was set to begin a best-of-3 series against St. James for the lower state title in the AAAAA Division II state playoffs that will result in the winner playing for a state championship. The Knights were taking a 25-1 record into the first game scheduled for May 18 at St. James. The second game will be played in Florence with a third game, if needed, being played on May 22 at St. James. West Florence head coach Randy Locklair couldn’t have been much happier with where his team was entering the series. “The girls are playing pretty well right now,” Locklair said. “Pressure doesn’t seem to bother them. Our pitching will always keep us in games. We just need to continue to hit the ball like we have throughout the season. “With starting so many young girls I do have a little bit of a concern, but they have produced all year and I do not see why they wouldn’t now. I am pleased and optimistic that we will do well. We definitely have a challenge with a very good (28-1) St. James team.” Locklair’s remark about pitching keeping the Knights in the game might be the understatement of the year. Senior Annie Eliason has not allowed an earned run all season and only two runs total in 130 2/3 innings pitched. Eliason has faced 443 batters and struck out 334 of them. She has given up just 26 hits and 16 walks. Eliason is also swinging a big stick when she steps to the plate. She had a .403 batting average to go with seven doubles, five home runs, 28 runs batted in and 10 runs scored. Four other Knights were hitting .400 or better. Eighth-grader Bayleigh Honeycutt and junior Paityn Daniels shared the highest batting average at .468. Honeycutt had seven doubles, one triple, 10 RBI and 28 runs. Daniels had two doubles, two triples, a homer, 26 runs, 14 stolen bases and 17 RBI. Freshman Hannah Marsik was batting .464 with seven doubles, three triples, five homers, 24 RBI and 15 runs, and eighth-grader Ashley Moody was at an even .400 to go with 28 runs, 14 stolen bases and 13 RBI. SOUTH FLORENCE SOFTBALL IN LOWER STATE TOURNAMENT The South Florence softball team is vying for a spot in the AAAA state championship series, but it has a little bit more work to do to get there. The Bruins lost to defending state champion Gray Collegiate Academy 3-1 on May 16 in a winners bracket game in the 4-team, double-elimination lower state tournament. The 25-6 Bruins were scheduled to play host to North Augusta in an elimination game on May 18. The winner of that game will take on GCA, needing to beat it twice to advance to the title series. WEST GIRLS 2ND IN AAAAA DII STATE MEET The West Florence girls track and field team finished a close second to Fort Mill in the AAAAA Division II state meet on May 16 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia . The Knights finished with 65, just eight behind Fort Mill. West Florence didn’t win any of the events but placed 13 times to score points. Leading the way was Kamya Young , who finished second in both the 100-meter dash and the 200 dash. Zofia Wierzbicki finished second in the shot put and third in the javelin. Nadia Brooks finished third in the shot put, while the 4x800-meter relay team finished third as well. Fourth-place finishers were Susana Martinez in the 800 run, and Kaylanna Burroughs in both the 400 hurdles and the triple jump. The 4x400 relay team was fifth, Cassidie Williams was seventh in the discus, the 4x100 relay team was eighth, and Shayonna Johnson finished eighth in the 800. Placing for the West Florence boys were Clayton Folse in third and Jude Packard in eighth in the javelin, Jamie Williamson in sixth in the discus and Jonathan Carter in seventh in the 800. In the AAAA meet on May 14 at RNE, South Florence’s Karmen Hanks won the 100 hurdles in the girls competition, while Allyson Watson was sixth. Adrian Singletary won the high jump in the boys meet. Tashawn Lewis finished eighth in the 400 hurdles. Wilson’s 4x100 relay team won state in the boys meet. Tristan Howard was fourth in the javelin, while Evan Addison was eighth in the discus and Kayden Bethea was eighth in the triple jump. The Wilson girls 4x1 relay team finished third while the 4x4 team was fourth. Leah Spears was sixth in the 100, Kamren McFadden was sixth in the 100 hurdles, Lafara Graham was sixth in the long jump, and Stary Samuel was seventh in the high jump.

Keefe Pleased with Florence Christian Baseball Season

By Dennis Brunson • May 24, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Florence – In completing his second season in his second go-around as the baseball head coach at Florence Christian School , Scotty Keefe knows he had a much improved squad. “We finished 13-6, were able to host a first-round game of the (SCISA AAA) state playoffs and won,” Keefe said. “We had a good season, much improvement from last season’s 10-10 record. The team was able to keep games close and win a few of them. “Headed into the state playoffs we were 12-4. We lost to two better teams at the end, but I’m proud of the team and the season. We look forward to next season and building off this year’s success.” The Eagles were the No. 4 seed in one of the 5-team, double-elimination brackets in the playoffs. They knocked off No. 5 Colleton Prep 6-5 in the first game. They lost to eventual state champion and once-beaten Calhoun Academy in their next game before being eliminated by Pee Dee Academy . Florence Christian had two players selected to the All-Region 3-AAA team in Riley Minton and Brodie Hickson . Minton, a sophomore who also played in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game , was the top pitcher and had a 5-1 win-loss record to go with a 4.00 earned run average. At the plate, he led Florence Christian in hitting with a .404 battnig average. He was also the team leader in hits with 21 and runs scored with 19. Hickson, a junior, was the starting shortstop and had a .298 batting average.

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Dillon Christian School’s Lila English Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month

By Larry Gamble • May 23, 2026
Bennettsville — Lila English is a rising senior student athlete at Dillon Christian School, where she has been a cheerleader since the sixth grade. English has also been playing volleyball since the seventh grade, basketball since the grade, and plans to play again in her senior season. Not to mention that she is a sport over achiever, when she started playing soccer as a junior. She plans to enjoy her upcoming senior year, being a multiple sport athlete, while continuing to take NETC online classes to help prepare for college. English said her childhood dream was being a varsity cheerleader. Being a multiple sport athlete just adds to her enjoyment of her school experience. With all the demands of sports, high school academics and the NETC online courses, English says her “time management skills” improved by having to balance preparation for multiple classes, with practices and games each week. After high school, English plans to focus on her studies instead of playing sports at the next level. Currently, she is weighing her options of either attending Clemson University’s Agricultural Mechanization and Business Program , but she is also considering attending the Darla Moore Business School at USC. In the classroom, she carries a 4.2438 GPA and says the NETC courses, “Have opened doors to provide me college level work academic learning experiences that have given me a glimpse of what to expect in the future, when I am actually at college,” she said. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, English has been chosen the “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges, after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Currently, English is enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She started taking classes during her junior year and she completing classes that will fulfill basic requirements for her freshman year at college. She has taken US History, World History, and Medical Terminology to date. English looks forward to going to college and preparing for a career. When asked about the NETC experience, English said “NETC has been great,” she said. “I was worried about starting these courses because I had never done anything like it, but the layout is easy to understand, and my professors were always flexible, and willing to help when I needed it.” Considering she only has two semesters of classes completed, English commented “I haven't taken many classes yet, that could reduce my course load in college, but plan on taking some online courses this summer and again during my senior year.” As a high school student, playing sports year-round, and taking NETC online classes, English had this to say about that challenge. “I have to plan, so there is a balance in everything between school, sports, and life,” she said. “I put together a schedule that enables me to get all the course work completed, so I don’t have to give up on doing other things.  When asked if all this can be stressful, English summed it up this way: “Time management can be hard with multiple games, or assignments due, but pacing myself has always helped,” she said. “I try not to load myself down, and I try to space my work out throughout the week to avoid stressing myself out.” English reflected on favorite memories as a student athlete, “Some of my favorite sports memories happened at practices,” she said. “The hard work behind the scenes with all the fun, smiles, and laughs can’t be beat. A different type of bond is formed within a team where you are pushing others, and yourself to be better while also having fun doing it.”
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