I was working on the photos from the Greer-Laurens baseball game, and I decided I’d watch West Virginia play Iowa and check out Caitlin Clark for a while. I like her. But the Mountaineers took over the game in the second quarter while, for nearly three minutes on the clock, the announcers provided colorful biographical details from Caitlin’s youth.
As I listened to the roars in Iowa City via the miracle of television, it occurred to me that everyone has idealized visions of fan bases. I was thinking about farmers getting the chores done and piling in the Expedition and hightailing it to go see the Hawkeyes.
In Iowa, they probably think they’re holding cockfights in the mezzanines in Columbia.
In truth, they’re just the same upscale professionals in both places.
That’s why everyone else has to hold parties in their houses.
The rest of the country just watches commercials and thinks the biggest jerks on earth are fans who party during the games.
Iowa held on. I don’t think the Hawkeyes have anything for Carolina, but I didn’t think Yale had anything for Auburn, either.
Meanwhile, on the diamond …
The red-hot Raiders passed another Region 2-4A test with a tense, 4-2, victory at home over Greer on a cool Monday evening.
Laurens (13-2, 4-0 region) won its ninth consecutive game, dating back to a 6-5 loss to Fountain Inn on March 4.
Both teams collected six hits. The Raiders played errorless ball behind Ryland Paxton, who got the win, and Grayson Ledford, who got the save. Paxton struck out nine but walked six, allowing three hits and a run in five innings. The bats awarded Paxton the decision by scoring three runs in the bottom half. Greer’s Gavin Hug had tied the score with a single.
The Raiders went to work. Coleman Coker singled to center. Jireh Brown’s bunt went for a hit, and pitcher Hug threw wildly to first. Coker scored and Brown dashed all the way to third base.
Hunter Nabors struck out, but Zay Pulley lined a single to center, scoring Brown. With two out, Owen Pridgen blooped a single, scoring Pulley.
Greer (8-3, 3-1) mounted quite a threat in the top of the seventh, scoring a run on Hayden Pakkala’s single, but Ledford worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Christian Crane to fly out.
The series resumes in Greer on Wednesday night before getting back together at Ed Prescott Field on Friday. Both games are to commence at 6:30 p.m.
Clinton, with Carson Glenn stroking three singles and Zane McLendon lashing two doubles, erupted in the latter half of Monday’s game at Chesnee and blanked the Eagles, 11-0.
It was scoreless for three innings.
Then the Red Devils scored two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, six in the sixth and two in the seventh. Glenn drove in two runs. Tanner Kyko scored three runs. Three more each scored two. Six different runners stole a base. Seven different batters had at least a hit. Five different Chesnee pitchers took damage
Kyko, who relieved Tanner Finley and preceded Freddy Lopez, was the winning pitcher. The trio combined to limit Chesnee to four hits – by Johnson, Carson Gossett, Zaiden Hammett and Paul Martin – and two walks. Kyko had four of the seven strikeouts.
Clinton (5-4) has won four of its last five games.
Thornwell (4-7) once again demonstrated its superiority over McCormick, thrashing the Chiefs, 20-2, on the road six nights after clobbering them, 18-3, at home.
It didn’t take long. Well, three innings were long. The Saints scored 12, three and five, respectively.
Thornwell only had five hits to McCorrmick’s three. Eighteen walks did an inordinate amount of damage. K.J. Thompson walked three times by his lonesome. Six others accepted two free passes apiece.
Parker Workman doubled. Zach Crowe tripled. Sam Robertson drove in three. Crowe, Griffen Raines and Robertson hurled an inning apiece.
Neither team committed an error.
Clinton golf continued to roll, shooting 155 and defeating Broome (183) and Broome (189). Luke McMurray tied with the Centurions’ Alex Weathers for medalist honors at 37. Aiden Bragg shot 38, and Gabi and Mia Carles each shot 40.
The Red Devils then took a 166-190 victory over Emerald. McMurray shot 37 and was medalist. Other Clinton scorers were Bragg 40, Gabi Carles 42 and Tallulah Wilson 47.
Ninety Six scored an eight-stroke victory, 187-195, over the Laurens golfers, who were led by Cameron Seay’s 44. Also scoring for the Raiders were Blake Lyons 49, and Lee Malone and Rich Coggins, both at 51.
Logan Ginn of the Wildcats was medalist at 42.
Clinton and Laurens split soccer matches. The Red Devils’ won the girls’ match in a shootout, outscoring the Raiders, 4-1, after the teams tied at 1 in regulation.
Laurens, however, took the boys’ match, 4-2.
Will work for food, but contributions would be better. They’re both good and good for me.
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