By MONTE DUTTON
This is how I’ve changed on social media. I let more go.
For instance, just a minute ago, I read a post that expressed this view in the form of a question; “What grown man still eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”
My first inclination was to write, “Any grown man who wants to.”
My second was, “I haven’t ever, but I still like peanut butter on crackers.”
My third was realization of how silly that would be. Last night, before the Purdue-Connecticut game began, I watched part of The Wizard of Oz. Social media is populated by the Wizard, hiding behind curtains as he conjures up fake sound and fury.
Some folks on social media will pick a fight on anything.
I wish I’d gone ahead and watched the whole movie. If a national-championship game can be a stinker, that one was.
The Boilermakers could do nothing but cram the ball in to Zach Edey, and that’s all they did. The game plan wouldn’t have been any different had it been on an asphalt court behind a church where one team had a player a foot taller than all the others.
Several twists of clutch fate helped Clinton (9-7, 2-2) pick up a victory it had to have, 3-1, in Region 4-3A baseball at Chester on Tuesday night.
Guarding a 2-1 lead with two men on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Carson Glenn strolled to the mound and proceeded to put away three Cyclones batters in 11 pitches. He had already driven in Clinton’s first run with a first-inning sacrifice fly.
In the top of the sixth, second baseman Jaydon Glenn made Chester’s Darby Clack (L) pay for an intentional walk to Tanner Kyko that loaded the bases. His single provided the Red Devils an insurance run.
Tanner Finley 
pitched the first four innings, allowing three hits, an unearned run and a walk. He struck out four. Carson Glenn picked up a save with three perfect innings spiced by four strikeouts.
Cam Jennings collected half of the Cyclones’ four hits.
Catcher Luke Young had the Red Devils’ only two hits for extra bases, both doubles. He’s gone 6/10 — four doubles, a triple, a single and a walk — over the past four games. The sources of Clinton’s other five hits at Chester were Brett Young, Zane McLendon, Harrison Moore, Jaydon Glenn and Camden Finley.
The Cyclones visit Clinton on Friday.
The Red Devils pounded Newberry in softball, 12-1, taking ample advantage of four errors by the Bulldogs and eight walks issued by McKenzie Garner, the losing pitcher.
Clinton (8-6) only matched Newberry in hits, five apiece.
Alyssa Young’s triple fueled Clinton’s quick start, driving in Halleigh Luke, who had been hit by a pitch. Young scored on Me-Me Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Red Devils piled on five more runs in both the second and fourth innings. Clinton turned two hits into five runs in both frames.
Cat Wilkie handled the circle chores, walking just one and fanning seven in the five innings played due to a run rule.
Young went 2/4, both scoring and driving in three runs.
For Newberry (1-11), Cadence Roberts went 2/3.
Riverside scored in every inning but the first, needing only five innings to finish off Laurens, 11-1, in softball at LDHS.
Laurens (6-5, 3-2 Region 2-4A) could not solve Riverside pitcher Kiley Chew, who gave up five hits but no walks.
Azaria Johnson’s solo homer put the Raiders on the board in the second inning. Makayden Livingston went 2/2. Addison Trevino and Ashlyn Messer rapped singles.
Eliana DeYoung drove in three of the Riverside (13-6, 4-0) runs. Natalie Regan went 4/4. Alana Spence was 3/4. The Warriors piled up 18 hits.
Summer Nations (L) went the torturous distance for the Raiders.
Only six of the runs scored by Ware Shoals (6-7) against Thornwell (4-10) in softball were earned, a result of the Saints’ five errors committed and seven walks allowed. Then again, the Hornets’ pitcher, Stella Eichhorn, also allowed seven walks.
The most obvious factor in Ware Shoals’ 15-5 victory on its home field was that the Hornets only committed one error.
A seven-run third inning sealed Thornwell’s fate in the game that run-ruled out after five.
Madi Landrith doubled in two runs to lead the Saints. Karleigh Porter’s hit was also a double, while Camden Nelson had to settle for a single. Nelson, Porter, Landrith and Adrianna Bouslay stole bases.
Jude Haynes homered and went 3/4 with three runs batted in for Ware Shoals. Kaylee Watts doubled and went 2/3 with three RBI.
Nelson (L) and Madi Porter shared the circle work for the Saints, who are to visit High Point Academy on Wednesday.
Laurens clinched a Class 4A boys’ tennis playoff berth with another 5-1 victory over Eastside on Monday.
The Raiders visit Riverside (Greer) on Tuesday.
Monday was my birthday. I’ve never been one to ask people to donate to charity for my birthday. What makes me think people who wouldn’t dream of giving me a present should give to charity in my name?
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