Lugoff-Elgin softball falls in Upper State finals

Parker Birch wasn’t going to let an early error deter her from getting to the Class 4A state championship series.

The Byrnes junior shortstop committed an error in the top of the first inning that led to a run, but made up for it in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run. The shot sparked the Rebels as they cruised to an 11-1 home win against Lugoff-Elgin to claim the Upper State championship on Friday night. The game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Byrnes will host either Summerville or Stratford at 6:30 Monday night in the first game of the state title series.

Birch finished with two RBIs, adding her second on a sacrifice fly in the third. She said coming back to help her team was relieving.

“In the first inning, I quickly got (the ball) out of my glove, didn’t turn my shoulders, she got second and then scored,” Birch said. “I came in and told the team that it was my bad. I was going to beat the bad guys. I went up there looking for a base hit, but I’ll take a home run when I can.”

The Rebels scored four times in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead on a three-run double by Haven Pesce and RBI double from Kasey Widmeyer. They increased the advantage to 8-1 in the third following Birch’s RBI and a two-run single by Pesce. Pesce led the team with five RBIs.

“It shows our hard work,” Birch said of the offensive outburst. “It shows how we get up and come in here and work hard.”

Widmyer also picked up the win on the mound in a complete-game effort.

“I’ve said the whole time you feel so comfortable with the bat when your whole lineup has been on the whole game,” she said. “You know they’ve got you if you fall. I didn’t get on one time and everybody had my back... We knew they were going to be up, and we had to shut them down from the very beginning. My defense was so good behind me. They worked hard. It was a great game.”

Byrnes scored its final three runs in the fifth as Christa Whitesides singled in two runs and Amber Campbell walked with the bases loaded.

Rebels coach Brandi Aiken said her team responded well after the early miscue to cruise to the win.

“I thought we did a good job coming out strong,” she said. “I’m happy with our response with the error in the first. Parker’s homer was huge.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Lugoff-Elgin softball falls in Upper State finals."