SUMTER – Richard Winn softball faced an uphill battle against top-seeded St. John’s Academy in the first round of the SCISA 1A State playoffs last Friday. The Eagles scored early, but the Cavaliers took a 12-2.
Riley Simpson led off the game with a double and scored on a Samantha Wilkes single in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. St. John answered quickly in the bottom of the frame to the score at 1. Meredith Pope singled early in the third but was tagged out heading to second, and the Eagles were held scoreless until the top of the sixth.
The Cavaliers added four runs in the third and two in the fifth. Simpson struck again in the top of the sixth with another double, followed by an Emma Castles single. Simpson added another run to the books for the Eagles to cut into the lead, but St. John’s closed the gap in the bottom of the frame when they plated five more runs to end the game early via the 10-run mercy rule.
Pope took the loss on the mound for the Eagles. She allowed ten hits and struck out one in six innings of work.
The Eagles headed to a late-evening elimination game with familiar-foe Wardlaw Academy. Richard Winn fared better at the plate, but the Patriot bats outlasted the Eagles and eliminated them from playoff contention with an 18-10 win.
Wilkes took the mound in game two. She allowed 13 hits and struck out one.
Senior Emy Russell led the Eagles’ offensive efforts, batting 2-3 with two doubles. Gracie Atkerson knocked a double in her last game as an Eagle. Pope also doubled, and Wilkes and Emma Castles each picked up a single for the Eagles.