AC Flora teams, Gray Collegiate, Airport, Chapin keep winning in playoffs
Tyler Hernandez delivered the kind of start the AC Flora baseball team was looking for Wednesday night.
The right-hander tossed six shutout innings of three-hit ball as the Falcons defeated Camden, 6-0, in the opening game of the best-of-3 Class 4A Upper State baseball semifinal series. Game 2 is Friday at Camden and Game 3, if necessary, is at AC Flora on Saturday.
“It is amazing. Probably my best outing of the whole year,” Hernandez said. “It is great to be able to throw 95 pitches in the playoffs and dive every single corner. . ..I just attacked the zone and do what I do. “
Hernandez allowed just one hit in the first five innings and ran into some trouble in the sixth. With one out, Cason Newman singled, Trey Bishop followed with a double and Brady Furniss walked to load the bases.
But Hernandez responded with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
“Obviously, he made some really big pitches when we needed him the most,” AC Flora coach Andy Hallett said.
The Falcons broke open a close game with three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to lead 6-0. Dylan Hernandez drove in two runs while Joe Chetwood, Monty Laffitte and Tyler Hernandez each had an RBI.
AC Flora has won 12 straight games and been dominant in four playoff games, outscoring its opponents, 52-10. The Falcons have extra motivation this postseason with it being the last season for Hallett, who was introduced last month as new athletic director and baseball coach for Midlands Stem.
“Ever since I told them (he was leaving), they haven’t flinched about how they perform or how they do everything,” Hallett said. “It is fun. We are playing at a high level, and we are executing.... It is a lot more enjoyable that we are riding this thing together.”
Baseball Playoffs
River Bluff 3, Carolina Forest 2: Leo Zambrano had the go-ahead RBI in the top of the seventh as the Gators advanced to the Class 5A Division I District championship game.
River Bluff will need to beat Sumter on Friday and Saturday to move on in the playoffs.
The Gators trailed 2-0 after five innings but scored twice in the sixth and once in the seventh. Mac Raines had two hits and an RBI an Ab Wilkerson was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Blythewood 5, Boiling Springs 1: The Bengals kept their season alive with a win over the Bulldogs in the 5A Division I Upper State playoffs.
Johnny Collins led the Bengals with two hits. Sergio Melendez, Navy Strickland, CJ Johnson and Caleb Blackwell all had RBI for Blythewood.
JL Mann 11, Dutch Fork 6: The Silver Foxes’ season ended on the road against JL Mann.
Airport 3, North Augusta 2: The Eagles scored three runs in the sixth and held off a Yellow Jackets’ rally to win Game 1 of Class 4A Lower State semifinal series. Game 2 is Friday at NA.
Brayden Dunlap had a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth for Airport. Rylan Bullis pitched 6.1 innings for the win and Daniel Butts had the save.
Berkeley, 7, Lugoff-Elgin 6: The Demons’ season ended as the Stags came back from a 6-3 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Hilton Head Christian 7, Cardinal Newman 3: Stone Burd homered and drove in five runs as HHCA won its second straight SCISA Class 4A championship with a two-game sweep of the Cardinals.
Alex Abreu and Will Spotts each homered in the loss for Cardinal Newman.
Boys Soccer
AC Flora 3, Dreher 0: Cullen Maas scored two goals in a three-minute stretch in the first half as the Falcons advanced to the Class 4A Upper State championship with a win over rival Dreher.
AC Flora goes to top-seeded Southside on Saturday with the winner advancing to the state championship.
Maas now has 46 goals on the year. Ellis Rowe added a goal in the 37th minute.
Gray Collegiate 4, Hartsville 0: Maddox Nettles, Fabio Garcia, Jordy Aguilera and Will Webber each had goals for the War Eagles, who advanced to the Class 4A Lower State championship.
Gray will host Bishop England on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Chapin 2, Lucy Beckham 0: Jacob Braden scored twice as the Eagles advanced to the Class 5A Division II Lower State championship.
Chapin will play at Myrtle Beach on Saturday.
Ashley Ridge 2, Lexington 1: The Wildcats’ season ended in the Class 5A Division I Lower State semifinals.
Clover 5, Spring Valley 0: The Vikings saw their season end in the Class 5A Division I Upper State semifinals.
Softball Playoffs
Saluda 5, Blacksburg 3: Kylee McGlohorn struck out 10 and Miller Martin drove in three runs as the Tigers won the Class 2A District 4 championship.
Boiling Springs 3, Blythewood 2: Boiling Springs got a walk-off win in the Class 5A Division I District 2 championship game.
Chesnee 6, North Central 0: The Knights’ season ended in the district championship.
