SCISA Softball State Tournament Weekend

Billy Baker

Publisher

Sumter — Orangeburg Prep overcame a 6-5 deficit to Spartanburg Christian Academy with a 5-run rally in the fifth inning as the Lady Indians went on to win the SCISA AAA state tournament game 10-6, while Laurence Manning Academy (14-4) pounded out 12 hits in a AAAA state tournament win over Augusta Christian School 16-5) with both games taking place at Patriot Park SportPlex on Friday. 

Both teams would lose their second contests though, OP falling to defending state champion Pee Dee Academy 12-2 in five innings. The Lady 'Cats, the 2-time defending AAAA state champions, fell to now 26-0 Pinewood Prep 3-1.

That means both teams will be playing an elimination game at 9 a.m. on Saturday, looking to get to the championship round of their respective brackets. The Lady Indians will be taking on Williamsburg Academy with the winner taking on undefeated Colleton Prep Academy at 11:30 a.m. LMA will be meeting Heathwood Hall in an elimination game at 9 with the winner facing undefeated Wilson Hall at 11:30.

Senior OP shortstop and Lander signee Prestan Schurlknight went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in to lead the way. Senior catcher Hannah Lambrecht had two hits and scored three runs to help her team win and she also played error free behind the plate.

Other hitters for OP included Callie Hartzog (single), sophomore pitcher Natalie Hall (single and an RBI), and third baseman Emma Grace Burleson, who had a single and scored two runs.

“Prestan and Hannah have been on this team for five years and they are our senior leaders,” said OP head coach Jan Stoudenmire after the first game. “Prestan puts in so much extra work to be a leader on this team, and she is a great glove at shortstop and a solid hitter at the plate (batting over .570 with seven home runs). Hannah is a super catcher behind the plate and such a good senior leader all around, We are going to miss Prestan and Hannah’s leadership and outstanding play after this season for sure.”

“We feel great about this win,” said Stoudenmire. “We have been preaching all week in practice that nothing in the past matters anymore, and we did not start off that well, but what matters now is how we play in the tournament and how we finish. We could have given up today when we got down 6-5 but we didn’t. I am so proud of these girls for battling back and not giving up.”

OP was led in the circle by Hall. Hall pitched a complete game, striking out two and allowing nine hits.

Spartanburg Christian, head coached by Todd Justis, was led at the plate by catcher Autumn Borla, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while pitcher Elizabeth Thompson went 2-for-4. Other players for SCA, all with one hit, included Kate Hutchins, third baseman McKenna Gresham, shortstop Aliza Wood, and center fielder Eva Mullinax. 

In the circle, Thompson pitched all six innings, giving up nine hits while striking out. 

In the game against Pee Dee, Orangeburg Prep jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Lambrecht struck out to start the inning, but reached on a passed ball. Schurlknight reached on an infield single before Hartzog ripped a triple down the right field line to score both runs. Golden Eagles pitcher Maddie Coward left Hartzog stranded on third though.

PDA's Addison Hasty cut the lead in half on the first pitch from Hall in the bottom of the inning, sending it over the centerfield fence for a home run. Azeleigh Arnette followed with a double before Coward hit a 2-run homer to make it 3-2. A 2-run single by Dinah Johnson in the second inning pushed the lead to 5-2.

The Indians had a chance to cut into the deficit in the third but were unable to do so. Lambrecht led off with a walk, and Schurlknight dropped in another single. They moved up a base on a groundout, but Coward retired the next two batters to avoid any damage.

That would be the start of Coward retiring the final nine batters of the game. She struck out nine and walked one while allowing four hits.

Catherine Ficik hit a solo homer in the third to open Pee Dee's lead to 6-2. The Eagles, now 25-1 and going for a fifth straight state title, added five runs in the fourth, the big hit was a 2-run triple from Lilly Grace Rowell. They closed the game out in the bottom of the fifth when Kayden Pearson doubled with two outs and scored on a Leah Nettles single.

PDA, which beat Clarendon Hall 10-0 in five innings in its opening game, scored in all 10 innings on Friday. Pee Dee had 14 hits against OP as each member of the lineup had at least one hit. Eight of the nine scored at least one run, and eight had at least one RBI. Johnson led the way, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Coward had two hits, two runs and two RBI, and Nettles had two hits and two RBI. Pearson had two hits, two runs and an RBI.

Schurlknight had two hits while Hartzog had the other hit and had two RBI.

Pee Dee will be waiting to take on the winner of the 9 a.m. elimination game between Calhoun Academy and Clarendon Hall. Calhoun lost to Colleton Prep 6-5 after beating Dillon Christian School 3-2. Clarendon Hall rebounded from the loss to Pee Dee to top Spartanburg Christian 6-4.

Laurence Manning Dominates Augusta Christian, Pounding out 12 Hits In 14-1 Win

LMA, head coached by Buddy Truett, got things started off on a positive note in the tournament with a resounding win over Augusta Christian.

“We had played a lot more games in this season at this point last year, but we had eight non-region games scheduled at the start of the season, but we had four teams opt out for various reasons,” said Truett. “We have a strong senior group on the team this season, and they have all been good leaders this season, and we just hope to finish strong in the tournament and get an opportunity to defend our state titles from the past two seasons.

“Our starting seniors (leftfielder) Marlee Black, (centerfielder) Lyza Prickelmyer, (shortstop) Ashley Rae Hodge, (third baseman) Lily Welborn, and (outfielder} Maggie Welch have all played well this season for us. We swung the bats really well in this game.”

Prickelmyer, one of the best all-around players in SCISA, had several outstanding plays on defense and scored a run in the game. She is batting over .500 on the season.

The top hitters in the big win were Black, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. Freshman pitcher Kendall Tanner wias 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Hodge had two hits. Freshman Mcree Holcomb went 3-for-3, and Maggie Welch and Wellborn each contributed a hit.

In the circle, Tanner went all five innings, allowing just two hits with six Ks. 

Augusta Chrisitan was led at the plate by catcher McKenzie Krebs and Ryleigh Smith, each with one hit.

Bailey Brown was the starting pitcher for the Lions, and she was relieved by Avery Sheppard.

In LMA's game against Pinewood Prep, all of the scoring came in the first inning. The Lady 'Cats' Prickelmyer singled with two outs, went to third on a single by Hodge and scored when the throw to the infield got away.

In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers' Grace Snyder drew a 1-out walk and went to second on a single by Makayla Sullivan. Freshman cleanup hitter Morgan Everitt then smacked a 3-run homer to dead center to make it 3-1. 

Everitt made her bomb stand up in the circle. allowing just two hits the rest of the way. She gave up a 1-out single to Maggie Welch in the second and a leadoff single to Black in the sixth.

Caroline Welch settled in in the circle for LMA as well. After giving up a 2-out double to eighth-grader Kensley Gibbs after the homer,, the only other hit she allowed was a leadoff single to Gibbs in the fourth.

Pinewood Prep will meet either John Paul II or Augusta Christian at 11:30. ACS rebounded from the loss to LMA to beat First Baptist 16-0. 

Wilson Hall awaits the winner between LMA and Heathwood Hall. The Lady Barons beat Northwood Academy 10-0 and John Paul II 9-1 to improve to 21-5.

In the win over Northwood, WH scored three runs in each of the first two innings and ended the game with a single run in the sixth. Wilson Hall had 10 hits with Lilly Grace Pryzbyla being the only one with two hits. Mary Paisley Geddings smacked a home run, Anna Meldrim had a hit and three RBI, while Marsha Kate Skey, Caroline Andrews and Marymae Lampron each had a hit, a run and an RBI., 

Skey, Lampron and Pryzbyla combined on the shutout, each tossing two innings. They allowed two hits while striking out nine and walking one. 

In the win over JPII, Lampron led the way with a double, a home run and three RBI. Pryzbyla again had two hits and scored twice, while Meldrim had a double and two RBI. Caroline Moorman had a hit and two RBI. 

Skey went the distance in the circle, scattering four hits while striking out six and walking none. 

AA, CLASS A TOURNAMENTS IN LEXINGTON

The last two undefeated teams in the AA state tournament are defending state champion Carolina Academy and The King's Academy, while Richard Winn and Marlboro Academy are the unbeatens in the Class A tournament. Both tournaments are being played at Oak Grove Softball Complex in Lexington.

Carolina beat Andrew Jackson Academy to advance to the championship round of its bracket. It will face the winner of the 9 a.m. elimination game between Dorchester Academy and Laurens Academy. Laurens lost to AJA 5-4 in its only game on Friday, while Dorchester beat Lee Academy 14-2 before falling to TKA 3-0.

TKA, which beat Cross Schools 13-12 in its opener on Friday, will meet the winner of the 9 a.m. elimination game between Andrew Jackson and Lee. LA rebouneded from the loss to DA with a 16-0 win over Cross.

In Class A, Richard Winn advanced to the championship round of its bracket with a 15-0 win over Jefferson Davis Academy and an 11-10 win over Holly Hill Academy. It will face the winner of the 9 a.m. elimination game between W.W. King and JDA at 11:30.

Marlboro Academy won twice on Friday, beating Wardlaw 7-6 and W.W. King 10-2. It will face either Wardlaw or Holly Hill in the championship round.