This time Raider comeback falls short, 5-4

Zay Pulley (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. CHARLESTON – Laurens’ third straight trip to the well yielded only an empty bucket as James Island won the first game in the Class 4A state baseball finals, 5-4, on Monday night. Both victories in the Upstate finals against Easley occurred on Laurens’ final at-bat. This time the …

County Lines: PC baseball deserves more than it gets

By MONTE DUTTON Charlie McDaniel (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Not enough people realize what Presbyterian College baseball has just done. Going to work on the Blue Hose’ sweep of UNC Asheville on Friday, I anxiously awaited the local news. PC won the Big South regular season for the first time in history, that being …

A few baseballs still bouncing

By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. I’ve seen a lot of celebrations. This spring the most uncontrolled was when the Clinton High baseball team won its region for the third straight year. The Red Devils attempted to build a skyscraper in the infield grass. It was a human pyramid without order and support. …

Madden completes Raider comeback and it’s on to state

(Monte Dutton photos) Click here. The Class 4A Upstate baseball championship, and the accompanying opportunity for statewide glory, belongs to the Laurens Raiders, who came from four runs behind to eliminate Easley (25-6) on Wednesday night by a score of 7-6. Right fielder Avery Madden drove in what proved to be the tying and winning …

County Signs: Porter in charge on practice field

By MONTE DUTTON Greg Porter (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Particularly since the Laurens High baseball team was playing afterward, I chose an overcast Monday to pay a visit to the Raiders practicing football earlier and down below. I waited a while because I wanted to see new head coach Greg Porter lead the charges …

Raiders pull it out, though not Easley

By MONTE DUTTON Owen Pridgen lays down a bunt. (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Coleman Coker walked on a full count with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night. As a result, Zee Williams walked off, and Laurens won the first of a possible three baseball games …

County Signs: Darlington, Dogs and Raiders

By MONTE DUTTON Zay Pulley is a dangerous leadoff man and a fine center fielder. (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. A lot of my early trips to Darlington Raceway were in the spring. The first race I saw there was on Labor Day, but I was occupied practicing football on that Monday for the next …

County Signs: Raiders oust Copperheads, move on

By MONTE DUTTON Jordan Hudson overpowered Catawba Ridge. (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. I fooled around and fell in love. With the NBA. I barely watched pro basketball as long as the colleges were playing. My brief watches left me thinking the players were just going through the motions. A schedule of 82 games is …

County Signs: Low-down, mind-messin’ SoCon blues

By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. The surreal moment of the week was finding myself a seat with a nice camera view and watching Wofford score nine runs immediately and 15 in the first three innings. Until the game started, I had high hopes for the Blue Hose. The Terriers won, 19-2, and …

County Signs: Rainy-day ruminations

By MONTE DUTTON Peroxide has agreed with the Raiders. (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Things I’ve noticed in movies and TV: It never drizzles. Movies shot in a studio have rickety doors. Many times the bad guy or gal in modern movies is the one who smokes. In old movies, everyone smokes. The second coming …