Gray-York softball series going to Game 3. Lexington baseball keeps season alive
Three Midlands teams kept their seasons alive Wednesday while another got the upper hand in its state championship series.
Gray Collegiate softball and the Lexington and Batesburg-Leesville baseball teams all won elimination games in their state championship series. Airport held off Seneca to win the opening game of the Class 4A baseball title series.
Pitching keeps Gray Collegiate softball alive
Gray Collegiate and York split the opening games of their Class 4A softball championship series.
Gray stranded the tying and winning runs in losing to York, 2-1, in Game 1 in front of a large crowd at York High School on Wednesday. The finish was the completion of Tuesday’s game that was halted in the bottom of the seventh inning because of heavy rain.
The War Eagles got a strong pitching performance from Peyton Hendrix in the second game Wednesday to win 4-0 and force a deciding game Friday at Gray Collegiate (7 p.m.). The War Eagles are going for their third championship in four years and first in Class 4A.
Gray jumped on top early in Game 2 as sophomore shortstop Aspen Boulware led off with a solo home run. It was Boulware’s 21st home run of the season.
From there, Hendrix took care of the rest. The sophomore allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked just one.
“It lit a fire underneath us,” Hendrix said of the opening-game loss. “Whenever we lose, we come back stronger. I feel we were all more hype and confident after we lost the first game.”
York had its best chance in the fourth inning when it had runners at first and third with one out. But Hendrix retired the next two batters to keep the lead at 2-0.
“Peyton is a bulldog,” Gray coach Doug Frye said. “She did it last year. We’ve just got good pitching.”
The War Eagles tacked on two more in the sixth on two York errors to make it 4-0.
Layla Clayton took the loss for York after getting the win in the first game. York is making its second championship appearance, with the other coming in 1981.
Early innings help Lexington past James Island
Lexington scored four runs in the first inning and three in the second as it evened the best-of-three Class 5A Division I championship baseball series with a 9-4 win over James Island.
The deciding game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Riley Park in Sumter. Both James Island and Lexington are looking for their second straight state championships.
Lexington pitcher Grant Kissner went four innings to pick up the win and was 3-for-4 with four RBIs at the plate.
Logan Blight had a two-run double in the first and Christian Spivey was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Spivey has homered in both games of the championship series.
Toby Sobieralski and Grant Coleman each had RBIs for the Wildcats.
Ole Miss commitment Taj Marchand was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for James Island. Marchand took the loss after lasting just over an inning.
Airport takes 4A baseball opener
Airport built a 4-0 lead and held off a late Seneca rally to defeat the Bobcats, 4-3, in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class 4A championship series.
Game 2 has been moved from Thursday to Friday at 7 p.m. at Airport because of heavy rain expected in the area. The Eagles are going for their first state championship in program history.
Hunter Epps led Airport with two hits, while Landon Jeffcoat, Braden Gross and Justin Sightler each had RBIs for the Eagles, who led 4-0 going to the bottom of the sixth.
Seneca scored three in the sixth and had the bases loaded with two outs, but Hunter Epps struck out Rafael Little to end the threat.
The Bobcats had the tying run on in the seventh with one out, but Epps retired the final two batters.
Cash Epps picked up the win, giving up an earned run on four hits in five innings.
Batesburg-Leesville rallies in 2A championship
Batesburg-Leesville scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat Philip Simmons, 3-2, in Game 2 of the best-of-3 Class 2A championship series.
The deciding game is at 6 p.m. Saturday at Founders Park.
The Panthers trailed 1-0 going into the sixth but scored three times. Jack Bouknight, John Sawyer and Tykler Kneece all had RBIs in the inning.
Braydon Halmman picked up the win in relief for Batesburg-Leesville, allowing a run on three hits while striking out two in two innings.
The War Horses scored a run in the seventh and had the tying run on second, but Hallman retired the next batter to seal the win.
Saluda softball drops opener
Saluda softball dropped the opening game of the best-of-3 Class 2A softball series with a 2-1 loss at East Clarendon.
Game 2 is Thursday at Saluda.
Nyla Jordan was 1-for-4 with an RBI and Jayme Shaeffer had two hits for Saluda.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 10:28 PM.
