Berkeley teams claim softball, baseball district titles

After last season’s abrupt end due to COVID-19, Berkeley High School softball coach Kelley Dillon doesn’t mind playing some extra softball these days.

“Not at all, especially when your team fights like that,” she said after the Stags needed a second game to put away visiting Lexington High School in a Class AAAAA district championship on Friday. “That’s what we’re going to have to do every game, every pitch moving forward.”

Berkeley, which dropped the first game, 6-5, on Friday, plated three runs in the top of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie and win the nightcap, 7-5, setting up an all-Lowcountry showdown for the Lower State title May 24, 26 and 28.

The Stags (27-3) host Ashley Ridge in the first game of a three-game series. Wednesday’s Game 2 is at Ashley Ridge. The third game, if necessary, is at a neutral site.

Berkeley edged Ashley Ridge three times in four encounters this spring. One meeting sticks out to Dillon.

“I still think we’re hungry from the one we lost,” Dillon said. “We were not playing our best ball as a team. We had about a two-week lull. We’re playing much better ball recently. Ashley Ridge is talented. We’re talented. It’s going to come down to who is mentally tougher.”

Catcher Gracie Prince homered twice in the finale for Berkeley, including a majestic two-run homer to straightaway center that gave Berkeley a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Her other was a solo homer in the top of the second to knot the score at 1-1.

“She’s got one of the strongest arms in the state and I would say one of the hardest swings in the state,” Dillon said. “She sends it when she connects. I’ve seen that in practice but that’s the furthest one I’ve seen out of here in game. She launched it.”

Lexington’s Sarah Gordon, who also hit two home runs in the championship, evened the score at 4-4 with a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Stags leadoff hitter Jersey Silver reached on an error to lead off the seventh, swiped second base and took third base on an error. She scored the go-ahead run on a hard-hit ball to shortstop by Gracie DeCuir.

Savannah Ballentine, who finished 3 for 4, singled with two outs to put two runners on base for Riley Daniel, who smashed one to the fence in right center to score both.

Lexington scored one in the bottom of the inning but Berkeley pitcher Abby Prince ended it with a swinging strikeout. Prince scattered seven hits, allowed three earned runs and struck out seven batters.

DeCuir and Gracie Prince collected two hits each. DeCuir scored three runs and knocked in a run along with Abby Prince.

In the first game, Daniel blasted a three-run homer while Abby Prince and JaKayla McKelvey chipped in two hits apiece.

Berkeley baseball wins two on road

The Berkeley High School baseball team won twice on Friday at Dutch Fork High School, 6-5 and 11-7, to claim the district championship and also gave Stags coach Landy Cox his 300th career win.

The postseason district title was their fifth since 2012.

The Stags (27-4) tangle with Lowcountry rival Summerville on May 24, 26 and 28 for the Class AAAAA Lower State title.

“I know some people don’t give Lowcountry baseball a lot of credit but one of us is going to be playing for a state championship,” Cox said. “I’m proud of that.”

The squads met in a preseason scrimmage but didn’t face each other in the regular season.

Game 1 is in Summerville and the Stags host Game 2. The third game, if necessary, is at a neutral location.

In the second game at Dutch Fork, Berkeley scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 11-7.

The Stags trailed 4-0 after the first half inning but responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame and gained the lead with two runs in the second.

Dutch Fork plated a pair in the top of the third to retake a 6-5 advantage but Berkeley responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third to go up 8-6. 

The Foxes plated one in the fourth to pull within 8-7.

Gabe White, Rhett Legette and Miller McGuire each knocked in two runs for the Stags.

Jack Hedges pitched five strong innings of relief, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out five batters. He worked around four walks.

“I’ve said before Hedges probably has the best stuff on the staff but it’s a matter of whether he’ll throw enough strikes,” Cox said. “He did a good job for us.”

In the first game, Chevy Wrenn was the winning pitcher for Berkeley. He scattered seven hits, allowed four earned runs and fanned three batters to stay unbeaten on the season.

Mark Russell and Jackson Proctor knocked in two runs each on two hits. Mason Salisbury also collected two hits.

The Stags put up a five spot in the top of the fourth inning and added one in the fifth inning to build a 6-1 lead. The Foxes made it close with four runs on a grand slam in the seventh inning.

McGuire came on to earn the save.

“When they beat us like they did on that Monday (16-5), I was as positive as I could be with the team,” Cox said. “I said we’ve got five steps to take. That was Tuesday’s practice, beating St. James on Wednesday, Thursday’s practice and then beating Dutch Fork twice on Friday. When we won the first game, I told them ‘well boys, you’ve already done the first four things.’ That was the hard part. I said ‘let’s go finish.'”