Summerville Softball Wins District 3 Title
Senior Jayden Bennett has had some key turns at bat for Summerville during the playoffs.
By Roger Lee
HSSR Contributing Writer
Summerville – When it comes to the softball diamond, Summerville is still the team to beat in the Lower State.
Things are going as expected for the Green Wave. During the regular season, Summer Knight, Daphne Frady, Jayden Bennett and Maeven Moreno all had more than 20 hits. Payton Sharpe, Delaney Hayes and Frady all had an on-base percentage of .450 or better.
Frady, a 2025 All-Region selection and North Greenville University signee, is having a special season in the pitching circle. She has more than 300 strikeouts this season. Entering the playoffs, the senior led the state in strikeouts and she will graduate holding the school record for most strikeouts in a season.
Summerville is getting key offensive and defensive contributions from many other players.
“With the way things stacked up in district we had to face teams in our region again so I’m proud of our kids for finding ways to win,” said Summerville coach Heather Tucker. “I’m proud of how they persevered. There are just a lot of good things all around.”
The Green Wave didn’t surrendered a single run during its first four games of the 5A Division 1 Lower State playoffs. Summerville (26-1) clinched the District 3 Championship with a 10-0 shutout of cross-town rival Fort Dorchester (17-7) May 13 at Green Wave Park to advance to the Lower State finals.
“It was a game against a rival with the season on the line,” Tucker said. “I was proud of how our kids came out and responded. Beating a good team a third time is hard to do. They came out and did an excellent job offensively. They were very disciplined at the plate. Our pitcher threw well and our defense was solid.”
Frady pitched a one-hitter, striking out nine Fort batters and walking none.
Green Wave All-State short stop Katie Guilliam opened the bottom of the first with a solo shot to center field. Summerville loaded the bases with two walks wrapped around a single from Moreno. Then catcher Gracelyn Cantrell drove in Bennett for a 2-0 Wave lead entering the second.
Frady finished 3 for 4 at the plate with a double and 2 RBIs. Natalie Farlow was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Bennett was 2 for 4 with a homerun and scored 3 runs. Cantrell had a double and 3 RBIs.
On May 11, Summerville eliminated West Ashley from the playoffs with a 10-0 home win in five innings.
Bennett hit a single to left field in the bottom of the first inning and scored on a Frady home run that gave Summerville a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Summerville added three runs. Bennett and Frady opened the bottom of the frame with walks. Then Moreno drilled a ball over the fence for a 5-0 Summerville lead.
The Green Wave sent three more runs across the plate in the third. Haylee Sexton got things started with an infield single. Guilliam reached on an error and Bennett singled to plate Sexton. Frady then had an RBI triple. Cantrell doubled to plate Sharpe for an 8-0 score.
In the fourth, Summerville loaded the bases with walks by Cantrell and Guilliam and a single by eighth-grader Addy Chapman. Frady stepped to the plate with two outs and drove in Chapman and courtesy runner Gabrielle Savage for a 10-0 Green Wave lead.
Other members of the team are Dakota Clark and Bryant and Stratton College signee Ryanne Harley.
Summerville will host Sumter (16-13) May 18 in the Lower State finals. The best-of-three series will move to Sumter May 20 and, if neither team wins both of the first two games, return to Summerville May 22.
Summerville Track
Summerville junior A’zedah Anderson captured a pair of state sprinting titles during the 5A Division 1 State Track and Field Championships May 14 in Columbia. Anderson won the Girls 100-meter Dash with an 11.70 time and the 200 Dash with a 23.84 time. Summerville senior Trinity Jones placed third in the 100 with an 11.82 time and 10th in the 200 with a 24.87 finish.
Summerville junior Addilyn Elrod won the Pole Vault with a 3.35 mark. Summerville’s Ava Williams placed seventh in the event.
Summerville senior Taylor Blackwelder placed second in the 3200 with a 10:58.69 time and fifth in the 1600.
During the boys’ meet, Gryson Greenway placed third in the Javelin with a 62.6 mark. David Greer placed sixth in the 3200 and 15th in the 1600.
