SCISA CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDUP
Carolina Academy, Holly Hill win softball titles; Lee Accademy wins baseball crown
The softball teams from Carolina Academy and Holly Hill Academy and the baseball team from Lee Academy won SCISA state championships on Wednesday.
Carolina topped Dorchester Academy 5-2 to complete a sweep of the best-of-3 AA softball series, and Holly Hill whipped W.W. King Academy 15-4 to win its second Class A softball title in three years. Lee scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to top Andrew Jackson Academy 11-5 and win the AA baseball crown.
In the Class A baseball series, Holly Hill Academy defeated defending state champion Richard Winn Academy 7-2 to force a deciding game on Thursday. The game will be played at Calhoun Academy in St. Matthews beginning at 6 p.m.
Two Game 1s were played with Ben Lippen beating Hilton Head Christian 5-1 in the AAAA baseball series, and Hilton Head Prep topping Orangeburg Prep 3-0 in the AAA baseball series. The Game 2s will be played on Thursday in Bluffton and Orangeburg, respectively, with both having 6:30 p.m. starting times.
Game 2 of the AAAA softball series between Laurence Manning Academy and Wilson Hall scheduled for Wednesday was postponed due to rain. It will be played at Julie Skolar Field in Manning on Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. Defending state champion LMA leads the series 1-0.
AA SOFTBALL
Carolina 5
Dorchester 2
St. George – Carolina rode the pitching of Raylee Frye to a 5-2 victory at the DA field, giving the program its first state title since 2010.
Frye scattered five hits and didn’t walk a batter while striking out four. Both of the runs she allowed were unearned.
CA, which finished the year with an 18-8 record, scored single runs in the second and third innings to go on top. It added three in the sixth to go up 5-0.
Carolina finished with seven hits with Natalie Braveboy leading the way. She was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Savannah McCutcheon had a hit and two RBI, while Frye had a hit, a run and an RBI. Carly Ann Smith and Ella Ham both had a hit and a run. Paisley Coker had a hit and Paisley McCutcheon had a run. Lauren Sims drew two walks.
Rylee Matthews had a double and scored a run for the Raiders, who finished at 19-6. Lyla Owens scored the other run, both of which came in the seventh. Molly Blanchard, Lucy Varnadoe, Emery McClure and Lily Canady also had hits.
Ava Higbe pitched the first five innings for DA, allowing three hits and two runs while walking three and striking out three.
CLASS A SOFTBALL
Holly Hill 15
W.W. King 4
Batesburg-Leesville – Holly Hill exploded for eight runs in the top of the second inning and rolled to a 15-4, 5-inning victory at the WKA field to clinch the title.
King led 3-1 after the first inning before the Raiders made it 9-3. They put it away with a 5-run fourth.
Leading the way for HHA, which finished 16-4, was Taylor Wright. She was 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and five RBI. Wright was also the winning pitcher, allowing three hits while walking four and striking out four. None of the runs allowed were earned.
Kaley Bell, Payton Strickland and Chloe Wren had two hits apiece. Bell had three RBI and two runs, Strickland had two runs and an RBI, and Wren had a run and an RBI. Kaylee Brabham had a double, a run and an RBI, Kloie Mizell had a hit, two runs and an RBI, and Milly Kate Prescott had a hit and three runs.
Holly Rikard had a hit and an RBI to lead WKA, which finished 10-4. Emma Enlow and Blythe Buzhardt both had a hit and a run, while Claire Massey and Kenzie Morse scored a run apiece. Abby Aull had an RBI.
AA BASEBALL
Lee Academy 11
Andrew Jackson 5
Bishopville – Lee trailed through the first 4 ½ innings before tying the game in the fifth and winning it in the sixth at the LA field.
AJA, which finished, scored two runs in both the first and second innings to open a 4-1 advantage. The Warriors led 5-2 after four before the Cavaliers rallied.
Tyler Gilbert led 17-6 Lee, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and three runs. Brayden Davis was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBI. Myles Frye had a hit and two RBI, and Andrew Bowers had a hit, two runs and an RBI.
Noah Brazell, Landon Olson and Tucker Rodgers each had a hit and a run, and Cash Holloway had a hit.
Gilbert worked the inal two innings to get the win. He allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out three. Davis pithed the first five innings He struck out five while walking four and allowing five hits.
Jack Walling had a big game for Andrew Jackson. He was 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and a run. Hayden McClung had a hit and two runs, and Walker Terry had a hit. Channing Terry scored twice.
Channing Terry started on the mound and worked five innings, allowing 10 hits and three earned runs. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
