ORANGEBURG – Blythewood’s Coach Pitch All-Star team opened the South Carolina Diamond Youth Baseball tournament with a blowout win over Orangeburg, but ended short of the state title with a 6-0 loss to Hartsville on Monday.
Following Friday night’s Opening Ceremonies, Blythewood faced off with tournament-host Orangeburg Saturday afternoon.
Blythewood’s bats proved too much for the Orangeburg team as they put up 23 runs with 29 hits over a four-inning stretch. Orangeburg managed only four hits on the day as Blythewood went on to a 23-0 shutout and move Orangeburg into the elimination bracket.
Maddox Olver led Blythewood with six RBIs. He batted 3-4 with a double. Kayden Strong (4-4), Kody Schwarzbauer (2-3) also doubled. Strong had two triples. Kash Holland (3-3) and Landon McIntyre (3-3) also tripled in the blowout win. Holland and Mason Weston (2-3) both had three RBIs.
Blythewood faced Hartsville Northern Saturday evening, and squeaked by with a 7-6 win.
Tied at three in the top of the fifth, Blythewood took the lead after Amos Sims singled to left field. Schwarzbauer scored after tagging up, Strong doubled down the left field line, and Witten Wilson singled to right field, each scoring a run.
Strong and Wilson led at the plate, both batting 3-3 with two RBIs. Strong had a double and a triple.
After a Sunday off, Blythewood returned to Orangeburg on Monday to face a tough Lancaster squad.
Lancaster put up four runs in the top of the first, and Blythewood responded with just one.
Olver doubled with two outs. Strong singled to left to put runners on the corners. Sullivan Sloan singled on a line drive to left to score Olver. The run would be Blythewood’s only of the game as Lancaster went on to claim a 20-1 win and send Blythewood into the elimination bracket.
Sharpe, Olver, Strong, Sloan, Holland tallied Blythewood’s five hits in the four-inning stretch.
Monday night’s elimination game was a familiar one with Blythewood facing Hartsville Northern, who they had beaten 7-6 on Saturday.
Hartsville took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and never relinquished it, holding Blythewood scoreless through six innings of play. They went on to win with a 6-0 final.
Olver and McIntyre had the team’s only hits of the game.
Hartsville advanced to face Lancaster in the title game on Tuesday. Lancaster took a 12-5 win to claim the state championship and advance to the DYB Coach Pitch World Series.
Following the game, Blythewood’s team was presented the tournament Sportsmanship Award, an honor given to only one team in the tournament.
Blythewood claimed the District 4 title June 17 with an 8-6 win over Lexington American.
