River Bluff baseball rallies to win 2021 Forest Acres Classic championship
River Bluff baseball entered the Forest Acres Classic with a six-game losing streak and left with the tournament title.
The Gators scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat host A.C. Flora, 4-2, on Thursday. It is River Bluff’s third tournament title in last four years it was played. The tournament was canceled last year because of COVID-19.
It is the second tournament River Bluff has won this year. The Gators defeated Blythewood to win the NaturChem Invitational on March 10. But injuries and players missing time because of COVID-19, River Bluff hadn’t won a game since then and need some help to make the postseason.
Still, winning the tournament title gives them momentum going toward second half of year.
“We are finally getting healthy. We went through some tough times and played some tough teams,” River Bluff coach Mark Bonnette said. “... These boys have fought every game. We have lost a couple of absolute heartbreakers. But they haven’t quit and come to practice every day. We are going to compete to the end. I will promise you that.”
Freshman Beau Hollins was named Tournament MVP and Gators’ Walker Mitchell and Jack Benedict also made the all-tournament team.
Trailing 2-1 and with bases loaded, Benedict cleared the bases with RBI single and then Falcons’ two-base error.
AC Flora got two on in the seventh but Todd Hudson worked out of the jam by getting Phillips Daniels to ground out. Tyler McLendon picked up the win.
Zander Buchan and Daniels made all-tournament team for Flora. Jack Reynolds had a solo homer.
A look at results from Thursday through Saturday in Midlands High School sports action:
Baseball
Forest Acres Classic
At AC Flora
Wednesday
River Bluff 11, Newberry 1
WP: Beau Hollins LP: Ryan Barnett Hitters: Todd Hudson 1-3 RBI; Ethan Plyler 1-3 RBI; WestonLever 1-2 RBI
Gray Collegiate 5, Dutch Fork 4
WP: Dominick McInTosh Hitters: GC: Mason Turner 2-3; Turner Thackston 1-2 RBI; Payton Starkey 1-2 RBI. DF: Will Taylor 1-3 2 RBI
Hammond 2, White Knoll 1
WP: Jack Weston LP: Carson Brown. Hitters: WK: Dylan Johnson 2-4 RBI. HI: Brig Brannon 2-4; Cannon Dorsey 1-3 RBI
AC Flora 15, Atlantic Shores Christian 0 (3)
Hitters: ACF: Zander Buchan 2-3 HR, 5 RBI; Jack Reynolds 2-2 3 RBI; Phillips Daniels 2-2 HR, 2 RBI
Thursday’s Schedule
Fifth-place game
White Knoll 8, Gray Collegiate 2
WP: Dylan Johnson LP: Warren Wasden Hitters: WK: Johnson 3-5 4 RBI; Hayden Cushman 3-5 RBI; Andon Dodds 1-3 2 RBI. GC: Turner Thackston 1-3 RBI
Third-place game
Dutch Fork 8, Hammond 6
WP: Jay Metts LP: Blake Weinbach. Hitters: DF: Will Taylor 2-2 3 RBI; Jay Metts 1-3 2 RBI. H: Brig Brannon 2-4 RBI; Grant Dorsey 2-4 RBI
Championship
River Bluff 4, AC Flora 2
WP: Tyler McLendon LP: Reynolds SV: Todd Hudson Hitters: RB: Thomas Powell 2-3; Walker Mitchell 1-3 RBI; Jack Benedict 1-2 RBI. ACF: Jack Reynolds 1-3 RBI; Max Childress 2-3 RBI
SC Diamond Invitational
Wednesday
Blythewood 16, Lexington 4
WP: Jacob Hardy LP: Reese Marcum Hitters: B: Caleb McCants 3-5 2 RBI; Ty Dooley 3-5 RBI; Zac Cowan 3-5 RBI; Justin Flemming 2-2 3 RBI; Watson Saunders 2-2 3 RBI; Camden Watts 2-4
Greenville 2, Chapin 1
WP: Rocco Reid LP: Matthew Becker Hitters: C: Sam Greer 2-3; Matthew Becker 2-3. G: Rocco Reid 2-3
Brookland-Cayce 13, Dorman 3 (5)
WP: Hayden Thomas. Hitters: Ty Marshall 2-3 2 RBI Jordan Wise 2-3 2 RBI; Micah Shivers 2-3 RBI
TL Hanna 14, Westwood 3 (5)
Hitters: TLH: Ethington 2-5, HR, 3 RBI; Cothran 3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Winter 2-3, HR, 3 RBI; Smith 2-3, 4 RBI
Thursday
At Lexington HS
Lexington 10, Westwood 0 (5)
WP: Leighton Bost LP: Gore Hitters: L: Caleb Warren 1-3 HR, 3 RBI; Brantley Stroud 2-2 2 RBI. W: Ginnery 2-2
TL Hanna 8, Blythewood 5
WP: Boone LP: Kevin Steelman Hitters: B: Justin Flemming 2-3; Justin White 1-1 HR, 2 RBI; Ty Dooley 2-4; Caleb McCants 2-2; Zac Cowan 1-3 RBI. TLH: Ethington 3-3 RBI; Winter 2-4
At Brookland-Cayce HS
Chapin 3, Brookland-Cayce 1
WP: Anson Merrick LP: Aubrey Richardson Hitters: C: Matthew Lively 1-3 HR, RBI; Sam Greer 2-3 2 RBI.
Dorman 13, Greenville 7
Friday
At Lexington HS
Lexington 21, TL Hanna 2
WP: Cal Herndon LP: Cothran Hitters: L: Ryan Toll 2-4 2 RBI; Nathan Hall HR, RBI; Blake Knight 2-2 3 RBI; Brantley Stroud 2-2 3 RBI
Blythewood 11, Westwood 1
WP: Camden Watts LP: Weston. Hitters: B: Justin Flemming 2-3; RBI; Camden Watts 2-3; Landon Penfield 2-3 RBI; Justin White 1-3 RBI
At Brookland-Cayce HS
Greenville 4, Brookland-Cayce 3
WP: Trevor Lipscomb LP: Skylar King. Hitters: BC: Hayden Thomas 2-3. G: Reid 1-3, RBI; Gist 1-4 RBI; Sheppard 1-3 RBI
Dorman 12, Chapin 4
Hitters: D: TJ White 2-4 2 HR, 6 RBI; Connor Droze 3-3 2 RBI; Tyler Gist 1-3 2 RBI. C: Foster Apple 2-3 2 RBI
Sheppard’s Glass Invitational
Wednesday
Cardinal Newman 2, Wade Hampton 1
WP: Will Kirk Hitters: Parker Hocutt 2-4 RBI, Run; Austin Laughlin 2-3; Logan Busenlehner 1-4 RBI
Airport 12, Wade Hampton 2 (5)
WP: Caleb Roberts Hitters: A: John Allen Forrester 3-4 2 RBI; Bruno Stone 3-3 2 RBI
Kershaw-Richland Wodden Bat Classic
Ridge View 11, North Central 1
WP: Jonethan Guess LP: Jesse Bowers. Hitters: RV: Austin Rinzel 3-4 5 RBI; Trey Pringle 2-4 RBI
Ben Lippen 10, Mid-Carolina 6
WP: Gray Davis LP: Caleb Fulmer Hitters: BL: Jake Eargle 2-4 2 RBI; Jake Whitener 1-5 2 RBI; Porter Stanley 3-5 2 RBI; Hudson Jones 3-5
Camden 3, Irmo 2
WP: Zane Cook LP: Carson Rivers Hitters: I: Dylan Williams 1-3 RBI. C: Lane Sexton 1-3 2 RBI; Zane Cook 2-3; Lucas Horton 1-3 RBI
Championship
Dreher 4, Sumter 0
WP: Nolan Cook SV: Matt Moore. Hitters: D: Shane Keup 2-3 RBI; Nate Harvey 1-2 2 RBI
Soccer
NIKE Palmetto Cup Schedule
At Saluda Shoals
Wednesday
Daniel 8, Ridge View 2
D: Ezra White 4; Coleman Wright; Liam Desjardins; Jonas Barrett; Xander Smiley
A.C. Flora 1, Gray Collegiate 1 (tie)
Cardinal Newman 2, Bishop England 1
Goals: CN: Owen Thompson, Connor Flynn
Blythewood 2, Legion Collegiate 1
Goals: B: Ryan Hart; Connor Jackson
Girls: Pinewood Prep 9, Gray Collegiate 0
Girls: Hammond 2, Spring Valley 0
Goals: Barra Jenkins; Logan Rivers
Thursday
Girls: Pinewood Prep 4, Spring Valley 2
A.C. Flora 7 Ridge View 2
Goals: Jackson Price 3; Lyman Ott; Henry Pecina; E. Fernandez; Jack Davis
Gray Collegiate 2, Daniel 0
Bishop England 3, Blythewood 1
Goals: B: Will Monroe
Cardinal Newman 5, Legion Collegiate 0
Girls: Hammond 8, Gray Collegiate 0
Goals: Logan Rivers 3; Rachel McCutchen; Eme McQueen 2; Katie Frye 2
Boys Group A Champion: Bishop England
Boys Group B Champion: Gray Collegiate
Girls Champion: Hammond
This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 3:14 PM.