Richard Winn baseball repeats, Mid-Carolina advances to Class 2A championship series

Richard Winn baseball won its second straight SCISA Class A title Thursday, while Mid-Carolina will have a chance to end its championship drought.

Ethan Steward hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning to help Richard Winn defeat Holly Hill, 5-3, and sweep the best-of-three SCISA Class A championship series.

It is the fourth title in school history and second straight. The other two came in 1996 and 2007.

Richard Winn (20-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third inning. Miller Stuck hit a solo homer in the inning and the other two runs came on a steal of home and an error.

Holly Hill responded with three in the top of the fourth. Mason Rudd had a two-run single in the inning to tie it at 3-3.

The score stayed that way until the sixth. Charlie Bonds led off the inning with a walk and Steward followed with the deciding home run to make it 5-3.

Bonds pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the save. Anthony Armstrong picked up the win, allowing three unearned runs on one hit in six innings of work.

Mid-Carolina back in title series

Mid-Carolina will have a chance to end its 33-year championship drought.

Murray Johnson, Klip Mobley and Connor Black each drove in two runs as the Rebels defeated Strom Thurmond, 7-3, to win the Class 2A Upper State championship.

Mid-Carolina advances to its first championship since 2007, and last won a title in 1991. The Rebels will get the winner of Friday’s Oceanside Collegiate/Andrew Jackson winner in Game 1 of the title series beginning Friday.

Mid-Carolina took control of the game with five runs in the third inning. Mobley and Black each had a two-run double in the inning.

After Strom Thurmond cut it to 5-3 in the fifth, Mid-Carolina scored twice in the sixth to lead 7-3. Johnson had a two-run single in the inning.

Jabari Flemon pitched four innings to pick up the win, allowing one earned run on six hits. Kaden Myers pitched the final three innings for the save.

Lexington baseball waiting on an opponent

Lexington baseball will have to wait until Friday morning to find out its opponent for the Class 5A baseball championship game.

Summerville defeated Ashley Ridge, 6-4, on Thursday to win the Class 5A Lower State championship, but might have to forfeit the win because of a pitch-count rule. The SC High School League is expected to make a ruling Friday morning.

Summerville’s Thayer Tavormina threw two pitches on Wednesday night and then 83 on Thursday. According to SC High School League rules, if a pitcher throws consecutive days he has a maximum of 75 pitches on the second day regardless if he threw one pitch or 30 pitches on the first day.

Game 1 of the 5A championship series is expected to start Saturday at Lexington.

Softball playoffs

Berkley 2, Chapin 0: Chapin’s season ended in the 5A Lower State semifinals. Berkeley will play Summerville in the Lower State championship on Friday.