PROSPERITY- The fourth seed Region 3-A Fairfield Central Griffins dropped their opening round playoff game 11-1, to the sixth seeded Mid-Carolina Rebels. Rebels’ starting pitcher Jonathan Bickley dominated with just two hits allowed, zero earned runs and struck-out five,
“If we don’t find a way to get to our next game that’s going to be McManus’s last time pitching,” Griffins’ head coach Scotty Dean said. “He’s our best guy, he wasn’t on today, I seen him do much better. On top of that we didn’t hit the ball. We only had two hits and that’s tough when you’re playing the number six 3-A baseball team in the state of South Carolina.”
The Mid-Carolina Rebels made the first dent on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. Corey Stone, the second batter of the inning, reached on a single and Bickley earned him self some run-support by scoring the runner on a double.
Fairfield tied things back up in the second after a bases loaded walk brought Travious Williams’ pinch runner in from third. Williams had singled to open up the inning, and was replaced on the base-path by Ledeavux Ashford.
The 1-1 tie was short-lived, and Mid-Carolina opened themselves up a lead with a three-hit, four-run third inning.
The Griffins walked two and tossed two wild pitches to help the Rebels’ cause.
A hot Mid-Carolina kept padding the lead in the fourth, while the Griffins’ went down in order in two of the last three innings. Jalen Bates Caldwell started the inning off with a single, and after a couple of wild-pitches, he found himself on third.
Cade Ruff brought Caldwell home to score with a deep sac fly. Corey Stone followed him up with a double, and his third hit.
Ruff came into score after Jonathan Bickley picked up a second RBI-single. That left the bases full for the Rebels with just one out left, but CJ Simmons got a double play, but Mid-Carolina bounced back with a big fifth, that finished the game off.
A couple walks and three hits, including a double off of the bat of Caldwell. Cade Ruff knocked in a couple RBI’s on a single, and then came home on a wild-pitch for the eleventh and final run for the Rebels.
The Griffins travel to Emerald High School on Thursday. If they lose the season is over, but a win will keep the season alive, and the Griffins will hit the road Saturday.
“Like I just got through telling them you got to fight, you got to scrap,” Dean said. “ To win every pitch, to win every inning, to win every out, and just extend the season by getting to the next pitch and getting to the next out. It’s tough, you spend a lot of time with these guys, these seniors, they worked their butt off. I think we’re a better baseball team than what shows sometimes. That team ain’t ten runs better than us.”
FCHS: 0-1-0-0-0-1
MCHS: 1-0-4-2-4-11
Hitting- 1B- Travious Williams, Harvey Smith (FCHS); Jalen Bates Caldwell, Cade Ruff, Corey Stone (3), Jonathan Bickley, Hunter Clinton (MCHS). 2B- Jalen Bates-Caldwell, Corey Stone, Jonathan Bickley, Preston Farmer (MCHS).
Pitching: WP-Jonathan Bickley , LP- Stanley McManus
