By MONTE DUTTON
The best thing about the baseball game at Ed Prescott Field on Wednesday night wasn’t the hot dogs.
They’re good. Not as good as the ones at Whiteford’s Drive-In or Steamers. Slaw is an available condiment at those two spots, but hot dogs are always better at a ballgame.
The baseball was something special when the Riverside Warriors took on the Laurens Raiders. A 1-0 score is more perilous in a high-school game.
I’m glad I went.
A year ago, Asher Goss was fighting for his life. On Wednesday, he was too tough for Riverside to handle.
Two dogs, a bag of Lay’s potato chips and a cold Diet Coke just augmented Goss’s near perfection. He froze the Warriors in their tracks. Two nights before, Riverside had pounded Laurens, 10-5.
Ancient history.
Goss’s no-hitter wasn’t perfect. He walked five Riverside batters, but Laurens (14-4, 6-2 Region 2-4A) turned two double plays – both from shortstop Ben Willis to second baseman Hunter Nabors to first baseman Owen Pridgen – behind him in the first and second innings in Laurens’ 1-0 victory.
Riverside’s Bryce Baxter (L) allowed only Zay Pulley’s leadoff double in the bottom of the third inning. Nabors bunted Pulley to third, but there he stayed when Baxter induced a groundout to first, and Riverside’s Luke Westrol held the runner and Pridgen took a called third strike.
The game’s only run scored in the bottom of the first inning when Edwards stole the plate as Pridgen stole second base. Both had walked, the only two Baxter allowed. He hit two batters.
In the top of the seventh, Goss, who threw 101 pitches, struck out Cooper Gladson and John Miedreich looking. The game ended on Aaron Lopez’s liner to Nabors at second.
“This was about me preparing early, getting my mind right and getting a feel for my pitches,” Goss said. “I’ve changed my routine to fit what worked best. I had a good game at Greer last week and stayed with that routine. It was just mentally preparing myself.
“That’s the best our infield has played. Those guys really helped a lot.”
Riverside (9-7, 5-3) loaded the bases in the fifth on two walks and an error, but Goss escaped when James Kakaras grounded into a fielder’s choice to Nabors, who threw to Willis for a force at second.
Goss struck out 11, including three of the last five Riverside batters he faced.
Clinton (3-1, 2-0 Region 4-3A) won its boys’ tennis match against Union County, 5-1, on Tuesday.
# 1 Singles, Nathan Meade defeated Luke Rector 6 – 3, 2 – 6, (10 – 4); # 2 Singles, Edwin Orr defeated Drake Sealy 6 – 0, 6 – 0; # 3 Singles, Matthew King defeated Warren Childers 6 – 0, 6 – 0; # 4 Singles, Jacob King defeated Colby Parker 6 – 0, 6 – 0; # 5 Singles, Malakye Brewer defeated Reid Barnado 6 – 2, 6 – 4.
# 1 Doubles did not play; # 2 Doubles, Brady Mason & Ethan Wargo lost to Corbin Lancaster & Reid Sanders 6 – 0, 1 – 6, (10 – 8).
Union plays the Red Devils again at 5 p.m. on Thursday, visiting the CMS courts.
The softball game between Thornwell (4-11) and High Point Academy (9-6) was a bit different.
Led by pitcher Julie Raines, the Grizzlies poured it on, 20-7, scoring six runs in the second inning, seven in the third and seven in the fifth.
Raines did her best work with a bat in her hands, going 3/4 with a double, three runs scored and three driven in.
Two Saints, Camden Nelson and Madi Landrith, collected two hits apiece. Madi Porter took the loss.
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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