Lake City softball team has good playoff showing

Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • May 8, 2024

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Lake City – The Lake City High School softball team may have finished fourth in Region 6-AAA, but the Panthers got to play for a shot in the championship game of the District 5 tournament in the state playoffs.

Lake City went on the road to face Region 5 champion Swansea in the opener and came home with a 16-5 victory. Kinsley Hanner picked up the victory in the circle, going the distance while scattering seven hits and striking out two. She also had a base hit and a run batted in.

Piper Beard led the offense with a double and five runs batted in. Caitlyn Byrd was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Kellie Strickland was 2-for-4 and Cannlyn Matthews had a hit and an RBI.

Lake City traveled to Dillon for the winner's bracket game and suffered a 6-0 loss. Byrd picked up the only hit for the Panthers, who fell to 7-11 on the season.

As the bottom seed in the 4-team, double-elimination tournament, Lake City had to go back on the road again and face Swansea. The Panthers weren't as fortunate this time, falling by a 12-4 count.

BOYS SOCCER TIES FOR SECOND IN REGION

The Lake City boys soccer team finished with a 9-10-1 record and tied with Crestwood for second in the region with a 7-3 record. Crestwood won the tiebreaker to get the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs while the Panthers were third. They lost to Brookland-Cayce 8-0 in the first round.

Lake City did hand Region 6 champion Camden its only loss with a 3-2 victory.

Freshman William Harrell led Lake City in scoring with 15 goals to go with two assists. Sophomore Ethan Perez had 12 goals and led in assists with five.

Sophomore Ian Howard had 10 goals and three assists. Sophomore Kaleb Rentz scored four goals, and senior Eduardo Rivera-Flores and freshman Dennis Pacay both had three assists.

Freshman goalkeeper Britton Beard had allowed just 27 goals through the first 17 games and had 148 saves.

ESTEP SCACA ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

Jamison Estep, who took over the Lake City football program when head coach Ronnie Baker was seriously injured in an automobile accident in July of 2023, has been named the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year.

Estep, who is still the interim head coach as Baker continues to recover from his injuries, led the Panthers to a 4-7 record and a berth in the state playoffs.

"Jamison Estep has done an amazing job under unthinkable circumstances," said LCHS athletic director Matt Apicella. "His leadership steadied the program and ensured that all student-athletes and coaches stayed the course. He is very deserving of this honor and is an invaluable asset to Lake City High School."

Estep will be honored at the coaches clinic in Greenville in July.

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