By Thomas Grant Jr.
The winning streak in region play continues for Airport baseball.
With Monday’s 1-0 win over North Augusta, the Eagles posted their 21st consecutive region win. For seniors like winning pitcher Hunter Epps, the streak dates back to his freshman year.
“It’s very important,” he said. “I love them. I love them all. Every year.”
It was North Augusta which handed Airport its last region one on March 28, 2023 by a 4-3 score.
Airport head coach Casey Bradwell is more concerned about staying in first place at the midway point of the Region 4-4A schedule. On a night when Brice Gillette’s 1st inning RBI single was the only run posted by Airport, Epps held the Yellow Jackets at bay. He allowed just two hits and struck out 10 batters.
At one point, he fanned four straight North Augusta batters and retired 12 of the last 13 batters.
“They all count the same,” Bradwell said. “A win is a win. But sometimes you’ve got to have a guy step up for you and him being a senior and kind of our leader, he did for us tonight.”
Epps was also aided out by Gillette at shortstop in the sixth inning. With a runner on second base and one out, Gillette raced to make a difficult catch on a pop fly for the second out.
Second baseman Isahia Clemons then caught a line out to retire the Yellow Jackets. The win improved the Eagles to 9-2 overall, 7-0 in the region.
Airport travels to North Augusta Thursday. After a Saturday non-region matchup at Irmo, the Eagles will have two games against Gilbert.
Both Epps and Bradwell acknowledge the abrupt way the last two seasons have ended (disqualified from the playoffs in 2023 over an ineligible player, losing the first two district playoff games in 2024) had served as motivation.
“We had a good spot last year and we kind of let some things slip through our fingers,” Bradwell said. “Obviously, that’s what fed them during the off-season. We’re here four days a week all summer and during the fall, we have baseball class and they’re practicing every single day.
“Yeah, that still in the back of their minds. They want to go and make a long run. But right now, they’re just focused on getting better every day and take care of business.”
“A lot hungry,” Epps said. “We’re coming hard this year. I promise. Especially me and my brother.”
The Airport softball team dropped to 7-3 overall, 5-2 in the region after a 4-1 home loss to North Augusta.
Brookland-Cayce baseball
The Bearcats stood at 4-6 overall, 4-2 in Region 4-4A following a 6-2 loss in 11 innings to Aiken Monday.
Brookland-Cayce took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI walk by Maddox Medeiros. After Austin Rhodus scored on a dropped third strike in the fourth inning, the Hornets scored in the fifth and sixth inning to tie the game.
Aiken took the lead in the Top 11th on an RBI single. It added three more runs on a double and the Bearcats were retired in order to end the game.
Gray Collegiate Academy
The defending Class 2A softball champions posted their sixth straight win and third consecutive shutout in a 13-0 win in five innings over South Aiken Monday.
Maliah Wright drove in four runs on two hits. Kayla Anderson went 2-3 with three RBI and Kaylan Boudreau was 3-3 with an RBI.
Peyton Hendrix allowed just two hits and struck out six in three innings for the win. Claire McCormick threw two perfect innings of relief.
The Lady War Eagles (14-1, 6-0) played host to North Augusta Tuesday.
In baseball, Gray Collegiate defeated South Aiken 13-3 in six innings. The War Eagles improved to 6-4 overall, 5-2 in the region.
Caleb Holmes and Chase Starkey both went 2-2 with three RBI and Gene Blankenship went 2-4 with an RBI. The trio of winning pitcher Cameron Southern, Hayden Collum and Kinnon Lawrimore combined for seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
The two teams meet again Thursday in Aiken.
(Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.) Airport pitcher Hunter Epps
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