Comeback ‘Cats: Lexington baseball rallies to stay alive in the postseason
Lexington baseball has had some impressive comebacks this season but saved one of the team’s best with the season on the line.
The Wildcats rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Chapin, 10-8, on Monday in a Class 5A Lower State elimination game. Lexington advances to Wednesday’s Lower State championship at Berkeley and will need to beat the Stags twice to advance to the state championship series.
“I don’t know what to say any more about them,” Lexington coach Brian Hucks said. “They just keep plugging. They give up a five-spot and go down 8-3. … But I don’t put anything past this group. I told them that is what championship teams do. We found a way to win and we will try to go to Berkeley and win two.”
The Wildcats will have their top two starting pitchers available on Wednesday in South Carolina signee Reese Marcum and North Greenville signee Cole Long.
It was Lexington’s largest come-from-behind win in its 11 come-from behind victoies this season. The previous largest comeback was four runs this season against Chapin on April 26 and Conway on May 3.
It was the fifth meeting of the season between the two Region 5-5A foes with Lexington winning the first four, including 8-2 on Thursday in the opening game of the Lower State.
The Eagles led 8-3 after a five-run top of the third. Foster Apple had a three-run home run, one of his two homers in the game, to put Chapin up 8-3.
Lexington answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Clemson signee Nathan Hall led off the inning with a solo homer. Braden Fournel also had an RBI single in the inning.
Chapin loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with Apple at the plate. That’s when Hucks turned to senior Jake Smith, the team’s leader in appearances. The right-hander struck out the Chapin slugger to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lexington took the lead when Landon Knight led with a solo homer to make the score 9-8. Knight was looking to redeem himself after making an error in the Eagles’ five-run third inning.
The Wildcats added one more in the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Tyler Floyd.
“I knew I couldn’t get down on that error I made in the field,” Knight said. “I knew my hitting ability, I stuck to it. I looked for a fastball and got it.
“We just fight until that last pitch is thrown and we showed that tonight.“
Chapin got the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh with no outs but Smith retired the next three to end the game.
The loss ended Chapin’s run through the postseason. The Eagles finished fourth in Region 5-5A and began the postseason with a losing record, but they went 3-0 in the district round and picked up a win Saturday against Summerville to make it to a second elimination game on Monday.
“I’m proud of my guys. We weren’t supposed to be here,” Chapin coach Scott McLeod said. “Nobody on this team had playoff experience. COVID shut us down (in 2020) and we were a game short of making the playoffs last year. We found a way to make it to the final six. I’m as pleased as I could be.”
WP: Jake Smith Hitters: C: Gray Wells 2-5 RBI; Foster Apple 2-4 HR, 5 RBI/ L: Tyler Floyd 1-2 2 RBI; Landon Knight 3-5 HR, 2 RBI; Nathan Hall 1-2 HR, RBI.
Monday’s Scores
Baseball
Class 4A
Hartsville 1, Airport 0
WP: Cam Cannarella LP”: Josh Raines Hitters: H: Jackson Moore 2-4 RBI (Walk-off RBI)
Class 3A
Brookland-Cayce 7, Hanahan 3
Hitters: BC: Skylar King 2-4, Parker Mergo 2-2 2 RBI; BJ Etheridge 1-4 2 RBI; Mason Turner 1-3 2 RBI; Jordan Gibbs 2-3
SCISA Class 3A
Game 1
Laurence Manning 12, Ben Lippen 2 (5)
WP: Durant Hitters: LMA: June 2-4 RBI; Brown 3-4; Geddings 1-3 2 RBI; Jordan 2-3 RBI; Acord 3-4 2 RBI
SCISA Class A
Game 1
Andrew Jackson Academy 6, Richard Winn 3
Hitters: RW: King 2-4; Caulder 1-3 RBI. AJ: Craswell 2-4 2 RBI; Peeples 2-4 RBI
Softball
Class 5A
Chapin 4, Wando 3
WP: Leah Cabe LP: Caroline Holmes Hitters: C: Aspen Mayers 2-4 4 RBI (Walk-off RBI)
Lexington 5, Summerville 5 (Suspended, Top 8th)
Class 3A
Loris 8, Gilbert 3
Class 2A
Gray Collegiate 7, Ninety Six 1
WP: Corley Hitters: Thomas 2-4; Long 2-3 RBI; Anderson 1-3 2 RBI; Knapper 1-4 2 RBI; Matthews 1-4 RBI
Golf
Round 1
Class 5A Boys Championship
Team Scores: Boiling Springs 308; Chapin 314; River Bluff 319; Spartanburg 320; Wando 323; Fort Mill 323; Mauldin 324; West Ashley 327; Naion Ford 328; Dorman 329; Lexington 330; JL Mann 331; Riverside 333; Conway 336; Ashley Ridge 351; Socastee 353
Class 4A Boys Championship
Team Scores: AC Flora 288; North Augusta 300; Indian Land 309; Beaufort 310; Easley 315; Eastside 321; Hartsville 322; Hilton Head Island 324; Aiken 328; May River 329; Myrtle Beach 331; South Aiken 331; Greenville 332; Greenwood 337; Pickens 337; South Pointe 344
Class 3A Boys Championship
Team Scores: Oceanside Collegiate 287; Bishop England 299; Woodruff 314; Wren 319; Daniel 321; Camden 324; Fox Creek 327; Blue Ridge 329; Waccamaw 340; Mid-Carolina 350; Academic Magnet 354; Powdersville 357; Palmetto 364; Aynor 372; West-Oak 376; Hanahan 396
Class 2A Championship
Team Scores: Christ Church 299; Central 308; St. Joseph’s 313; Philip Simmons 314; Gray Collegiate 326; Chesterfield 331; Chesnee 338; Abbeville 350; Latta 353; Andrew Jackson 367; Brashier Middle 382; Batesburg-Leesville 394.
Midlands Playoff Schedule
Baseball
Class 4A
James Island at Airport, 7 p.m.
SCISA Class 3A Championship
Game 2
Laurence Manning vs. Ben Lippen, 6:30 p.m.
SCISA Class A Championship
Game 2
Richard Winn at Andrew Jackson
Wednesday
Baseball
Class 5A
Blythewood at Fort Mill, 5 p.m.
Lexington at Berkeley, 5:30 p.m.
Class 4A
Eastside at AC Flora, 5 p.m.
Class 3A
Brookland-Cayce at Oceanside Collegiate, 5 p.m.
Class 2A
St. Joseph’s at Gray Collegiate, 4 p.m.
Softball
Class 5A
Chapin at Summerville
Friday
Softball
Class 5A
Chapin/Summerville at Lexington
Class 2A
Ninety-Six/Crescent at Gray Collegiate, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published May 16, 2022 at 10:18 PM.
