By MONTE DUTTON
I was back in my right mind Tuesday, taxes begone, getting ahead, watching part of a movie that I’ve watched part of three times in the last month, playing a little guitar, having something I hadn’t had at Steamers and trundling off to a ballyard.
Two ballyards, actually. Clinton softball plays up top with the flag and concession stands, and baseball is down in the valley.
I talked baseball in the dugout, Furman with Tommy Spangler and just kidded around everywhere else.
I didn’t get up the hill as soon as I wanted because the baseball game was too interesting and more important. It was dark when I got up there, and the photos aren’t as spiffy as I’d like. It’s not the lights. It’s the dark background.
A lot of them, I took. I spent a half hour just deleting. Lots I save, some I use and others I hold in reserve for the next time I’m not there.
It’s in the Bible. Maybe the Constitution. I mean, not in the same words.
It was the second time I’ve perspired ever so slightly this annum, but I’m seven days rounded to a year older.
Something about me has changed. My taxes are filed.
Clinton did what it had to do. Union County did what it had to do and what Clinton needed it to do.
Got that?
The Red Devils defeated Emerald, 4-1. In Woodruff, Union County scored a run in the top of the seventh inning and edged the Wolverines, 2-1.
In the Region 4-3A race, Clinton (11-8, 4-2) is alive because its two losses were against Woodruff, which lost twice to Emerald, and the Red Devils have another game at Emerald on Friday and a make-up game to play against Union County, if necessary, next Tuesday instead of Laurens.
As best I can check and cross-check, the latest results leave Union County 4-1, Clinton 4-2, and Woodruff and Emerald 4-3. The Yellow Jackets have won four straight in the region since the Red Devils defeated them, 7-2, on March 12.
On Friday evening, Clinton visits Emerald at 6 p.m., while Woodruff travels to Union County.
To simplify, another victory at Emerald and a make-up win at home against Union County give the Red Devils the top seed. It takes nothing less, but Clinton controls its destiny.
Laurens’ next Region 2-4A test is in Taylors on Wednesday night against Wade Hampton, which shocked the Raiders, 4-2, on Monday night. Then Wade Hampton returns to Ed Prescott Field on Friday.
The Generals are only 3-7 in the region. The Raiders are 7-3. That’s what the first game shocking. Greer is now also 7-3 and plays Riverside at home Wednesday and on the road Friday.
Laurens won the season series with Greer. Two wins over the Generals give the Raiders the top playoff seed.
Stay tuned.
Clinton (11-8, 4-2) had to come from behind to win, 4-1, after it spotted Emerald a run in the top of the first inning.
A pair of two-out singles, the latter by Justin Scott being the run producer, staked Will Howard (L), who went the distance for the Vikings to a lead that lingered until the bottom of the third.
Tanner Finley 
held the line on the mound, giving up six hits but nary a walk and striking out three in 4-1/3 innings.
Clinton left two men on base in the bottom of the first.
A double play – third baseman Zane McLendon to first baseman Harrison Moore – resolved a jam in the second. Jaydon Glenn being thrown out at the plate – and suffering a knee injury on the play – and Brett Young striking out with a runner still on third completed the ruination of the bottom half.
Clinton had a runner thrown out at the plate on a bunt in the first two innings.
Tanner Finley started the Red Devils’ second double play – mound to third on a pop to the pitcher – to end the top of the third.
The game was a powder keg. Clinton finally found the fuse.
McLendon led off with a ringing double. Carson Glenn singled and McLendon advanced to third. After Moore struck out, Luke Young’s sacrifice fly tied the score.
Camden Finley singled in the third inning with one out, took second on a passed ball, and Bryce Young bunted him to third. An infield single by Brett Young put Clinton on top.
The Red Devils had Carson Glenn in the bank, and head coach Sean McCarthy used the ATM with one out in the fifth inning.
The lefthander stopped Emerald (7-8-1, 4-3) on a double by the second batter he faced, Tucker Meredith, then retired the next seven batters and fanned three of them.
Then the Vikings’ ship went aground.
Howard hit Carson Glenn, gave up a single to Moore, plunked Luke Young, and set the table full of vittles for Freddy Lopez, whose single to center scored courtesy runner Owen Glenn.
Twisting in the breeze, Howard retired the next two batters, but Tanner Finley’s ground-ball out drove in Moore.
Carson Glenn went 2/3 and Brett Young 2/4. Carson Glenn, Jaydon Glenn and McLendon doubled. Brett Young, Luke Young, Lopez and Tanner Finley furnished the RBI.
Meredith went 2/4 for the Vikings.
Laurens scored four runs in the first inning but didn’t score after the second as Wade Hampton (11-6, 4-2) dropped the Raiders, 9-5, the fourth straight softball setback for LDHS (6-8, 2-4 Region 2-4A).
Catcher Addison Trevino went 3/4 and homered for the Raiders, and Carly Edwards doubled in three trips.
Three batters – Breleigh Betsill, Birdie Paul and Layla Traylor – each had two hits for the Generals.
Kellyn Kingston gave up just one earned run in spite of seven LDHS hits and three walks. She struck out seven.
Only three of Summer Nations’ (L) runs were earned. She allowed 10 hits, walked one and fanned three.
Laurens committed six errors, Wade Hampton four.
Clinton fell on the softball diamond, as well. Chester won, 6-4.
The Red Devils had one more hit (7-6) but three more errors (8-5).
Alyssa Young and Sierra Tempton each had two hits. One of Templeton’s was a triple.
The teams were tied after two innings but the Cyclones scored three runs in the third and the Red Devils could never quite catch up.
Me-Me Smith (L) didn’t give up a single earned run, walking one and striking out five.
Clinton (8-8, 1-6) visits River Bluff (Lexington) on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.
A loss is a loss, and a mile is as much as a marathon. Whitmire’s harsh baseball verdict over Thornwell (5-13) was 24-3 on Tuesday.
A mere three Wolverines – Xzye Stephens, Peyton Jones and Aiden Vicars – stroked three hits.
The Saints scored their runs in the third inning, which began with them trailing, 16-0.
Parker Workman took the loss but laced a triple at the plate.
Zach Crowe and Josef Holford had singles for Thornwell, which visits Whitmire on Friday.
Wyatt Harsha needed to pitch only 2-1/3 innings to pick up the win, allowing all three Thornwell hits.
Kenleigh Epps stopped Thornwell (5-14) on one hit, by Karleigh Porter, in Whitmire’s 10-0, four-inning victory on the Wolverines’ softball home field.
Whitmire scored four runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the third and three in the fourth.
Epps struck out 11 of the 18 batters she faced.
The Saints host Eastside on Wednesday night at 7:15.
Last Thursday, Laurens played at Greer Country Club in a three-way golf match against Region 2-4A foes Greer and Eastside.
The Eagles won with a team score of 166, followed by Greer at 176 and the Raiders at 192.
Laurens scores were Lee Malone 45, Blake Lyons 48, Pearson Goss 48 and Cameron Seay 5.
On Monday, the Raiders finished 11th of 14 schools at the 18-hole at the Woodfin Ridge tournament in Inman, won by Spartanburg at 299.
Laurens scores were Malone 81, Seay 95, Lyons 95 and Goss 105 for a 376 total.
Clinton finished seventh at 332.
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