By MONTE DUTTON
Success was commonplace, but tension was hardly in the air.
As a matter of fact, the riskiest aspect of my Friday was the decision to enjoy pregame carnitas at Fiesta Grande. Fortunately, Tex-Mex agreed with me, as it usually does.
I wisely stayed close to home, just for good measure.
Clinton High was playing baseball against Chester. That’s where I started out snapping photos.
Then I motored a few miles from the Red Devils’ valley to Presbyterian College’s spring football game at Bailey Memorial Stadium. A few football fields away, baseball was being played at Elton Pollock Field. (That’s all covered elsewhere.)
Thornwell and Laurens Academy were also playing at home, but not even candidates for public office make that many whistle stops. What was I going to do? Take one photo at each field?
While the Red Devils were sweeping up at home, the Laurens Raiders were mopping up at Riverside. Other mops were sloshing elsewhere.
The exception was in Woodruff, where the Clinton softball team lost a close one to the Wolverines.
As my late, great friend, Jim McLaurin was prone to say in hectic moments, “Other’n’at, ain’t much hap’nin’.
Back at home after a testy victory at Chester on Tuesday, Clinton pounded the Cyclones, 11-0, in its friendly confines, and the rout began at the top of the batting order.
That’s where left fielder Brett Young was. He stroked three singles in as many bats, scored three runs, drove in one and stole a base. That checks the boxes of what a leadoff man is supposed to do.
Third baseman Zane McLendon filled the two hole nicely, too. He lashed a two-run triple in the fourth inning.
Three other Red Devils — Freddy Lopez, Bryce Young and Jaydon Glenn — each provided a pair of singles. Clinton (10-7, 3-2 Region 4-3A) amassed 13 hits and only batted four times in the game, which ended prematurely via 10-run rule.
The hits were not the highlight for Jaydon Glenn, who worked three innings and allowed three hits and two walks, striking out three. Tanner Finley faced nine Chester batters and allowed none of them hits, through two walked. He, too, fanned three.
Riley Darby (L) was ineffective and received insufficient support as the Cyclones committed two errors. Five of the 11 runs charged him were unearned, but the Red Devils collected 12 hits off him, too.
Kyan Kennedy, who doubled and had two of Chester’s three hits, finished up on the hill.
Seven Clinton batters had hits.
Laurens’ three-game series against Riverside – Monday and Friday in Greer, Wednesday in Laurens – had no discernible form.
The Raiders won the series with the Warriors with a 13-1 thumping two nights after a no-hitter and four after Riverside (9-8, 5-4 Region 2-4A) opened with a 10-5 win.
Catcher Bennett Edwards routed Riverside all by himself. The Raiders got five chances to bat in their run-rule display, rapping 14 hits. Edwards was 2/2 and drove in six runs with a two-run single in the second inning and a grand slam in the fourth.
Lefthander Jordan Hudson 
gave up two hits and a run in five innings, striking out eight and walking three. He plunked three.
All three Riverside hurlers allowed runs. Dru Nelson (L) gave up six of them in two frames off seven hits, two walks and a hit batter. He fanned none. Cooper Noble and Cam Daniels collected the Warriors’ singles.
For Laurens (15-4, 7-2), shortstop Ben Willis was 3/3. Center fielder Zay Pulley, second baseman Hunter Nabors, Edwards, right fielder Asher Goss and designated hitter Jireh Brown each had two hits.
Woodruff came from four runs down to edge Clinton, 6-5, in softball.
The Wolverines scored the winning run with a bases-loaded walk. The tying run was on third in the top of the seventh when Ella Adair grounded to the pitcher.
Clinton (8-7, 1-5 Region 4-3A) had five runs off six hits and six errors. Woodruff (6-3, 4-1) had six runs off five hits and five miscues. The Wolverines won both games against the Red Devils by the same score.
Me-Me Smith (L) deserved better. Only one of the runs she allowed was earned. She was 3/4 at the plate.
Catcher Halleigh Luke was 2/4 with a triple. Kamryn Campbell doubled. Sierra Templeton and Cat Wilkie had singles.
Clinton’s eight victories have been by a margin of 103-18. It’s been outscored in its seven losses, 57-24.
The Red Devils have fallen by one run three times in region play.
In Greer, Riverside dominated Laurens (6-5, 3-3) by a score of 10-0, putting up a run in the first inning, four in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the sixth, and outhitting the Raiders, 17-5.
Summer Nations (L) led the LDHS attack with two hits, one a double, in three trips to the plate. The experience in the circle was a stark contrast.
Carly Edwards also doubled. Makayden Livingston and Kasey Morris had singles.
Kiley Chew walked and struck out three. Seventeen Riverside (14-6, 5-0) hits came from Madison Thieke (4), Reagan Coster (3), Natalie Regan (2), Grayson Gamrat (2), Ella McGrath (2), Eliana DeYoung (2), Alana Spence and Mia Gallello.
Back on the baseball diamond, Richard Winn ran roughshod over Laurens Academy, 11-0.
Evan Asalone, who took the loss, Caleb Hardy and Elijah Hornberger had the LA (4-6) hits, all singles.
Charlie Bonds and Ethan Steward each collected three hits for the Eagles. Bonds both scored and drove in three runs. Winn (6-0) took advantage of four errors by the Crusaders.
Tony Armstrong didn’t allow a walk and struck out seven.
Astonishingly, not one error was committed in Ware Shoals’ 21-2 victory at Thornwell, but four Saints pitchers granted the Hornets 10 walks.
Ware Shoals (13-4) totaled 13 hits, three of them by Jasir Farhan, two by Jayce Medlin and two by Luke Wooten.
Griffen Raines led Thornwell (4-12) with two hits. Sam Robertson and Zach Crowe had one apiece.
Crowe (L), the first of four Thornwell pitchers, allowed seven runs in 1/3 of an inning without allowing a hit. He walked four and hit three.
Medlin was the winning pitcher. The game ended after three innings, two of which Medlin worked.
Ware Shoals (8-7) won the softball game between the two, 19-4.
Madi Landrith went 2/2 at the plate. Camden Nelson, who took the loss, and Madi Porter, who also pitched for Thornwell (4-13), also had hits.
Stella Eichhorn was also the Hornets’ leading hitter, going 3/3 with three runs scored and four driven in. She ripped both a double and a triple.
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