Lewisville looking to repeat as Class A state champion
Lions sit atop High School Sports Report Class A poll
Sumter – Lewisville High School played for the Class A softball state title in both 2022 and 2023 and brought home the championship trophy last season. Having lost just two starters from that 25-4 team, one has to think the Lions will be in the mix to defend that title when the state playoffs begin in a couple of weeks.
“We expect to be back in the finals next year,” Lewisville head coach Jerry Thomas said immediately following the title-clinching victory over Lake View last May. “We start on next year right away.”
Lewisville had done nothing to dispel that thought. The Lions are ranked No. 1 in the High School Sports Report Class A pol.
1. LEWISVILLE
Lewisville was 13-3 overall and 8-0 in Region 2. Its losses have come to defending AAAA state champion Catawba Ridge, Legion Collegiate Academy out of Rock Hill and fellow Class A school Whitmire.
Junior Sarah Owens is back in the circle after a strong 2024. She had 20 victories with 195 strikeouts and a 1.64 earned run average. Owens was also big at the plate with 27 runs scored and three home runs.
Other key returnees are senior catcher Jordyn Miller, who batted .425 with four home runs and 25 runs batted in last season, outfielder Molli Deese, third baseman Kyleigh Fletcher, shortstop Kinley Lambert and leftfielder Kylee Waggoner.
2. BAMBERG-EHRHARDT
Bamberg-Ehrhardt has a young squad that started out the season with a 5-5 record. There are only two other teams in Region 3, so the Red Raiders are having to play a lot of non-regio games.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt’s losses have come to AAAAA schools White Knoll and Lexington, AAA Silver Bluff and twice to AA Pelion.
3. DIXIE
A perennial Class A power, Dixie is having a tremendous season. The Hornets won 15 of their first 17 games and were rolling through their Region 1 schedule with an 11-0 record.
Dixie owns a pair of wins over AAAAA Greenwood and suffered a close loss to AAAA A.C. Flora.
Key performers for Dixie are junior shortstop Addison Price, eighth-grader Blakely Riddle, sophomore Riley Skinner and sophomore pitcher Mackenzie McElrath.
There are only three seniors on the roster.
4. LATTA
Latta won 10 of its first 12 games and started 6-0 in Region 6. The Vikings owned two wins over AAAAA Conway and one triumph over Sumter, ranked in the top 10 of AAAAA Division 1.
Junior pitcher Maddie Berry leads Latta with her performance in the circle and at the plate.
Berry, who signed with Wofford in November, has been an All-Region performer all five years leading into this season. She’s been an All-State selection the past two years. Coming into this season, Berry had pitched 311 innings with a 31-5 record. She compiled 547 strikeouts with a 0.81 earned run average.
5. WHITMIRE
Whitmire is a member of the tough Region 1 and owned a 4-2 record. The Wolverines were 10-4 overall with wins over AAAAA schools Greenwood and Laurens and a 4-3 triumph over top-ranked Lewisville. They also whipped up on region foe and sixth-ranked Ware Shoals as well.
Sophomore Kenleigh Epps pitches for Whitmire. Other key performers are Cierra Jones, Autumn Gilliam and Alleigh Corley.
6. WARE SHOALS
Ware Shoals is 4-3 in region play and are 6-1 overall,
The Hornets are led by sophomore pitcher/shortstop Stella Eichorn. She owned a .619 batting average through 10 games with three doubles, four triples, two homeruns, 16 runs batted in and 17 runs scored.
Sophomore Sarah Vinson, another pitcher/shorststop, was batting .429 while seventh-grade third baseman Selena Timms owned a .400
7. BRANCHHILLE
Branchville returned several players from last year’s team that went 13-12 and won its region title.
The leading returner is junior Anna Win Berry. She had a team high .304 batting average last season along with 18 runs batted in. Freshman Cadence McAlhaney is back after hitting .297 wtth 29 runs scored, and freshman Kayden LaPiene, who batted .269 with 22 RBI.
8. MCBEE
McBee was off to a 6-4 overall start and was 5-3 in Region 3, good for second place. It lost twice to Lewisville, but by just a 7-5 count in the first contest.
9. ABBEVILLE
Abbeville is 7-8 on the season and 5-3 in Region 1. The Panthers started the season with seven consecutive losses before reeling off seven straight victories. The winning streak came to an end with a loss to Dixie.
10. HORSE CREEK ACADEMY
Horse Creek Academy of Aiken is a newcomer to the South Carolina High School League but it has established itself in softball. The Stallions won 10 of their first 15 games and were 8-0 in Region 3.
They are led by freshmen Madalyn Robatue and Jessilyn Robatue, junior Adrien Beak and sophomore Allie Stuart.
Madilyn Robatue was leading the team with a .400 batting average to go along with 16 runs and 10 runs batted in. Stuart was close behind with a .394 average and was leading in RBI with 19 while scoring 18 runs. Beak had a .364 average with six doubles, two triples, a team high 19 runs and 13 RBI. . Jessilyn Robatue was batting .320.
Class A Softball Rankings
(as of April 12)
1. Lewisville
2. Bamberg Ehrhardt
3. Dixie
4. Latta
5. Whitmire
6. Ware Shoals
7. Branchville
8. McBee
9. Abbeville
10. Horse Creek Academy
