Thoroughbreds not in the race vs. Hartsville
By Don Gearhart
The South Aiken Lady Thoroughbreds raced into Hartsville on May 6 to try and take down the Lady Red Foxes. They were never in the race as Alyssa Poston and her Lady Foxes teammates only allowed a single baserunner all day. They were unable to hit anything out of the infield and a 15 strikeout performance by Poston sent them back home in the Loser Bracket of the Lower State District 5 playoffs.
Meanwhile, any offense in the game was strictly generated by the Lady Red Foxes. After one out in the bottom of the first, Martin got aboard via catcher interference and promptly stole second. Poston wasted little time driving her home when she tripled in the right center gap. Caydon Thompson followed with an RBI single between first and second to give Hartsville a 2-0 lead after an inning. They added a third run in the second with doubles from Watkins and Myah Harvey.
In the third inning, Martin led off with a base hit and moved to third on Poston’s double She scored soon after on a wild pitch with Poston moving to third. Thompson drove her home with a bloop base hit over first base that landed just inside the chalk. Thompson scored when Abbey Byrd singled up the middle putting Hartsville up 6-0. Another run crossed the plate in the fifth.
The sixth inning started with a Watkins double down the right field line. Jammaria Pendergrass sacrificed her to third with a bunt and Harvey collected the RBI with a base hit. The 8-0 lead was all Hartsville needed when South Aiken was retired in order in their last chance seventh inning.
The Lady Red Foxes will be back in action for the District 5 Championship on May 11. The winner between South Aiken and May River will have to defeat Hartsville twice that day in order to move on.
In other local softball playoff news, Lamar is sitting in the same position as Hartsville in the Single A playoffs having defeated Branchville 7-3 and Carvers Bay 9-3. Darlington is still alive in 4A after defeating James Island 7-2 before losing a tough game against South Florence, 4-0. They now have a rematch with James Island on May 9 for the right to play South Florence on May 11.
