By Thomas Grant Jr.
This is the formula West Columbia Post 79 has successfully utilized in the S.C. American Legion Baseball playoffs.
With Tuesday’s 5-0 shutout of St. George Post 105 at Brookland-Cayce High School to complete a second-round sweep, Post 79 is headed back to the state tournament since winning it all in 2020.
“It’s exciting,” head coach Dargan Lybrand said. “We got beat twice in the second round the last two years, so it’s very exciting. That team back them can probably hit a little better than this team. But this team can play defense.”
West Columbia stole homefield advantage with a 2-1 victory over St. George Post 105 in Game 1 at Branchville High School.
The two teams combined for just seven hits, three by St. George as West Columbia starter Graham Whittle of Airport struck out seven in a complete game effort.
Post 79 trailed 1-0 in the Top 6th when it scored both runs. With two outs and the bases loaded, Wyatt Bowen scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
Preston Coggins then scored Chance Culley on an RBI single for the lead.
After escaping a bases loaded jam in the Bottom 6th, Whittle retired the final three batters in order for the victory.
In Game Two, Coggins took the mound and held St. George to just four hits over 6 1/3 innings. He also managed to pitch his way out of scoring threats in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
Coggins also picked off a runner attempting to reach third base. It was the only time St. George had an opportunity to advance a baserunner past second base.
West Columbia made the most of its six hits. Both Hunter Epps and Brice Gillette had RBI singles and Jeremy Powell had a bases-clearing double in the Bottom 6th following a 30-minute lightning delay.
With one out in the Top 7th and the count 1-2, Powell took the mound and completed the strikeout on the first pitch. Ryan Murphy then closed out the game and series by catching a popout.
“It’s a testament to the pitchers we have and the defense,” Lybrand said. “I like to coach defense and pitching and have a good catcher. If we can live like that, if we have to win like that, that’s the way we’re going to play.”
As West Columbia heads to Francis Marion for the state tournament starting Monday, Lybrand believes the team’s future is just as bright.
“So excited for these kids,’ he said. “We’ve actually got such a young team. We’ve only got eight seniors on a 22-man roster. A lot of these kids can come back next year. So I’m so excited for the way they played and the enthusiasm and just how we play defense and pitch.”
CHAPIN/NEWBERRY POST 193/24
Chapin/Newberry post 193/24 stole Game 1 at A.C. Flora High School in a 7-5 win over League 3 champion Richland Post 215.
The contest featured three ties and four lead changes. Chapin/Newberry took a 2-0 lead in the Top 2nd as Matthew Rollison scored on an infield error and Brady Yarborough followed two batters later with a RBI sacrifice fly.
A 2-run single by Rence Best tied the game in the Bottom 2nd. Richland Post 215 took a 4-2 lead in the Bottom 3rd on an RBI groundout by Jalen Scott and RBI single by Zach Snead.
A fielder’s choice by Jake Peterson brought Chapin/Newberry to within 4-3 in the fourth inning. After Rollison was hit by a pitch and Blair Moore singled to open the fifth inning, Bryce Satterwhite hit a game-tying RBI single, and Cooper Raines followed with an RBI sacrifice bunt to put Post 193/24 back on top.
Another RBI groundout by Scott deadlocked the game at 5-5 in the Bottom 5th. Chapin/Newberry took the lead for good in the sixth inning as Peterson led off with a single, advanced two bases on passed balls and scored on a Jack Coletti single.
Blair Moore added an insurance run with a double and Liam Davenport threw a scoreless Bottom 7th for the win.
Chapin/Newberry looked to close out the series at Newberry College. Richland Post 215 capitalized off seven walks issued to take a 3-2 victory and force a defending game Wednesday back at A.C. Flora.
LEXINGTON POST 7
Lexington Post 7 dropped Game 1 to Golden Strip Post 271 by a 4-3 score at Hillcrest High School.
Lexington took a 1-0 lead in the Top 2nd as Colby Reynolds scored off a double play. Golden Strip tied the game in the Bottom 3rd on a Tyson Moses double and took a 2-1 lead on a Ben Willis RBI single in the fourth inning.
Golden Strip added two more runs in the Bottom 6th. Lexington mounted a comeback in the Top 7th as Ryder Kellis hit an RBI sacrifice fly and Toby Sobieralski doubled home a run.
Sobieralski advanced to third base on a wild pitch and Will Burgess was intentionally walked with two outs. University of South Carolina commit Brandon Cromer hit into a game-ending groundout as Sobieralski was tagged out advancing to homeplate.
On Tuesday, Post 7 jumped out to a 6-2 lead at Lexington High School.
Fellow Wildcats Burgess and Jackson Burton and Colby Reynolds of archrival River Bluff helped lead three-run rallies in the first two innings. Golden Strip answered with two runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to tie the game.
With runners on second and third and two outs in the Bottom 5th, Lexington took the lead. Golden Strip pitcher Tyson Morris was called for a balk, forcing in Kellis as the go-ahead run.
Jack Rivers relieved Landon Gross in the fifth and retired six of the last seven batters faced for the victory. This forced a deciding game Wednesday back at Hillcrest High School.
Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.
Feature Photo: West Columbia Post 79 Team
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