Orangeburg Prep, Hilton Head Prep to play for SCISA AAA baseball title; Hilton Head Christian advances in AAAA
Pinewood Prep, Ben Lippen to play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Sumter for final AAAA berth
Orangeburg Prep and Hilton Head Prep clinched berths in the SCISA AAA baseball state championship series, and Hilton Head Christian Academy in the AAAA title series by finishing undefeated in their respectrive brackets with victories on Wednesday.
OP beat St. John’s Christian Academy 4-1 to win the upper bracket, while HHP defeated Calhoun Academy 3-2 in nine innings to claim the lower bracket. Hilton Head Christian won the AAAA lower bracket as senior Hayden Brooks hit a walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win over Cardinal Newman.
HHCA won’t know who it will be facing in next week’s championship series until later on Thursday. That’s because Pinewood Prep beat Ben Lippen 9-8 on Wednesday to force a deciding game on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Wilson Hall’s Tommy Jones Field in Sumter.
Starting times have been set for each of the first two games in the AA and Class A championshhip series, respesctively. The AA series between Andrew Jackson Academy and Lee Academy will have 7 p.m. starts, on Monday in Ehrhardt and in Bishopville on Tuesday. If a third game is needed it will be played at a neutral site on Thursday. The Class A rematch between defending champion Richard Winn Academy and efending runer-up Holly Hill Academy will have 6 p.m. starts for the first two games. They will play in Holly Hill on Monday and in Winnsboro on Tuesday. A third game will be played on Thursday at a neutral site if needed.
AAAA
Orangeburg Prep 4
St. John’s Christian 1
Orangeburg – Senior Bryson Williams allowed just two hits and one unearned run in a complete-game effort as the Indians improved to 27-3 on the season with the win at the OP field.
Williams had eight strikeouts while walking three.
OP took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second only to see the Cavaliers tie it in the top of the third. Orangeburg Prep scored three times in the bottom of the inning for the 4-1 lead, and Williams made it stand up the rest of the way.
Senior Hunter Judy led the Indian offense, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two runs batted in.
Senior Eli Pantaleon and freshman Landon Kuck both had a hit and an RBI with Pantaleon’s hit being a double. Williams had a hit and a run, Senior Mason Tyler had a hit and a stolen base, and junior Tilden “T” Riley scored a run.
SJCA, which finished with a 12-9 record, got both of its hits from senior Sumter Moorer. Junior Jacob Glover scored the lone run, and senior William Busch had the RBI.
Senior Tyler Black pitched all six innings for St. John’s Christian. Only one of the four runs he allowed was earned, and Black finished with six strikeouts while allowing just one walk.
The best-of-3 championship series will begin on Monday with OP traveling to Hilton Head Prep for a 4 p.m. start. Game 2 will be played on Tuesday in Oraneburg beginning at 6:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it will be played on Thursday at a neutral site.
Hilton Head Prep 3
Calhoun Academy 2
Hilton Head Island – JP Pirkey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to drive in the winning run in Hilton Head Prep’s 3-2 triumph at the HHP field
The Dolphins jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Connor Campbell sacrifice fly. The Cavaliers, who finished with a 20-10 record, tied it in the third on a Cullen Sightler single. HHP got that run back in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a wild pitch to make it 2-1..
The score remained the same until the top of the seventh. Sightler delivered another RBI single to force extra innings.
Campbell earned the win for Hilton Head Prep, pitching two scoreless innings with two strikeouts while allowing one hit and two walks. Pirkey started on the mound, allowing seven hits and one run over six innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
Joseph Lyons took the loss for CA. He worked 2 2/3 innings, striking out two while allowing one hit and four walks. Colt Layton started for the Cavaliers, scattering seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked four.
Sammy Middleton and Brody Hausher collected two hits apiece to lead Hilton Head Prep offensively, Jackson Stanyard drew three walks, while Hausher stole two bases.
Layton had four hits for Calhoun. Sightler had two hits and two RBI.
The best-of-3 championship series will begin on Monday with OP traveling to Hilton Head Prep for a 4 p.m. start. Game 2 will be played on Tuesday in Oraneburg beginning at 6:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it will be played on Thursday at a neutral site.
Hilton Head Christian 3
Cardinal Newman 2
Bluffton – Brooks made a winner out of himself and the Eagles with his walk-off dinger. He pitched a complete game, allowing six hits while striking out six and walking three.
Roman Colella hit a 2-run home run in fourth to give HHCA its initial lead.
Hilton Head Christian, which is the defending AAA state champion but is playing AAAA this season after realighment, improved to 21-8.
AAAA
Upper Bracket
Monday, April 28
Game 1 – (5) Wilson Hall 7, (4) Porter-Gaud 1
Tuesday, April 29
Game 2 – (3) Hammond 11, (2) Pinewood Prep 6
Game 3 – (1) Ben Lippen 10, (5) Wilson Hall 0
Wednesday, April 30
Game 4 – (2) Pinewood Prep 12, (4) Porter-Gaud 2 (Porter-Gaud eliminated)
Thursday, May 1
Game 5 – (2) Pinewood Prep 5, (5) Wilson Hall 2 (Wilson Hall eliminated)
Game 6 – (1) Ben Lippen 7, (3) Hammond 0
Monday, May 5
Game 7 -- (2) Pinewood Prep 15, (3) Hammond 2 (Hammond eliminated)
Wednesday, May 7
Game 8 – (2) Pinewood Prep 9, (1) Ben Lippen 8
Thursday, May 8
Game 9 – (2) Pinewood Prep vs. (1) Ben Lippen, 6:30 p.m. (at Wilson Hall in Sumter)
Lower Bracket
Monday, April 28
Game 1 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 9, (5) Augusta Christian 6
Tuesday, April 29
Game 2 – (2) Cardinal Newman 4, (3) Trinity Collegiate 0
Game 3 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 7, (1) Laurence Manning 3 (9 innings)
Wednesday, April 30
Game 4 – (3) Trinity Collegiate 11, (5) Augusta Christian 7 (Augusta Christianeliminated)
Thursday, May 1
Game 5 – (3) Trinity Collegiate 6, (1) Laurence Manning 5 (Laurence Manning eliminated)
Game 6 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 13, (2) Cardinal Newman 6
Monday, May 5
Game 7 -- (2) Cardinal Newman 5, (3) Trinity Collegiate 3 (Trinity Collegiate eliminated)
Wednesday, May 7
Game 8 – (1) Hilton Head Christian 3, (2) Cardinal Newman 2 (Hilton Head Christian wins bracket)
Championship Series
Best-of-3
May 12, 13, 15
AAA
Upper Bracket
Monday, April 28
Game 1 – (4) Patrick Henry 5, (5) Spartanburg Christian 1
Tuesday, April 29
Game 2 – (2) Pee Dee 4, (3) St. John’s Christian 0
Game 3 – (1) Orangeburg Prep 11, (4) Patrick Henry 3
Wednesday, April 30
Game 4 – (3) St. John's Christian 6, (5) Spartanburg Christian 1 (Spartanburg Christian eliminated)
Thursday, May 1
Game 5 – (3) St. John's Christian 3, (4) Patrick Henry 2 (Patrick Henry eliminated)
Game 6 – (1) Orangeburg Prep 2, (2) Pee Dee 1
Monday, May 5
Game 7 -- (3) St. John's Christian 1, (2) Pee Dee 0 (Pee Dee eliminated)
Wednesday, May 7
Game 8 – (1) Orangeburg Prep 4, (3) St. John's Christian 1 (Orangeburg Prep wins bracket)
Lower Bracket
Monday, April 28
Game 1 – (4) Greenwood Christian 16, (5) Florence Christian 5
Tuesday, April 29
Game 2 – (3) Calhoun Academy 11, (2) Williamsburg 10 (8 innings)
Game 3 – (1) Hilton Head Prep 4, (4) Greenwood Christian 1
Wednesday, April 30
Game 4 – (2) Williamsburg 4, (5) Florence Christian 0 (Florence Christian eliminated)
Thursday, May 1
Game 5 – (2) Williamsburg 6, (4) Greenwood Christian 5 (Greenwood Christian eliminated)
Game 6 – (1) Hilton Head Prep 10, (3) Calhoun Academy 0
Monday, May 5
Game 7 -- (3) Calhoun Academy 3, (2) Williamsburg 2 (Williamsburg eliminated)
Wednesday, May 7
Game 8 – (1) Hilton Head Prep 3, (3) Calhoun Academy 2 (Hilton Head Prep wins bracket)
Championship Series
Best-of-3
Monday, May 12
Orangeburg Prep at Hilton Head Prep, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13
Hilton Head Prep at Orangeburg Prep, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 15
at neutral site if needed
AA
Championship Serie
Best-of-3
Monday, May 12 – Lee at Andrew Jackson, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13 – Andrew Jackson at Lee, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 15 – at Neutral Site (if necessary)
CLASS A
Championship Series
Best-of-3
Monday, May 12 – Richard Winn at Holly HIll, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13 – Holly Hill at Richard Winn, 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 15 – at Neutral Site (if necessary)
