Baseball notes: ‘Risk-takers’ in Rock Hill; the pitch limit; scores; region standings
The scores are in. The region standings are up to date. Huge series are set for next week. And The Herald’s Alex Zietlow has two brief notes from the games he visited this week to share.
Here’s what you need to know.
Legion coach: ‘They’re going to change a lot of things in this world’
Before the final out of Legion Collegiate’s game on Friday against York Prep — with the Lancers up 18-0 — Legion’s coaching staff subbed in several underclassmen so their seniors could depart Lake Wylie Field to a standing ovation.
Those seniors deserved it.
But that ovation wasn’t a bid goodbye. They still have a lot of baseball to play, after all.
For one, the Lancers, who represent the newest public charter school in Rock Hill, have more baseball to play this season. Their roster is deep with seniors and bolstered by two young, formidable arms (junior Joey Hylinski and sophomore Xavier Pelzer).
But said seniors are also not done with baseball once this season ends, either. Most, if not all, are headed to play college baseball next year: There’s Kollin Crepeau, who’s going to Francis Marion. Cody Craig and Parker Helm and Ryan Deal have college baseball plans. Many others who made an impact on Friday night’s outcome do, too — including Colby Guy (who got Friday’s start and win as a pitcher) and Hunter Fryzowicz (who hit a double and a home run in the same inning).
Friday’s win provided a unique opportunity for head coach Devon Lowery to reflect on this senior class, many of whom he’s known and worked with as an independent pitching trainer for years.
“One, they’re risk-takers,” Lowery told The Herald Friday. “To come to a school that doesn’t have a field, didn’t really have a school, didn’t really have any facilities — to put trust in an up-and-coming program to take care of their baseball needs — they’re risk-takers.
“They’re going to change a lot of things in this world that this country needs just because they’re willing to take a risk. That’s one thing I’ll say about this senior bunch that I really want people around to know about these guys.”
Legion is 10-7 overall and 7-1 in region now. The team, which is only in its second year, is close to earning its first playoff berth in program history.
Pitch count keeps Darden from complete game, but that didn’t bother him
“15 pitches,” Northwestern baseball coach Ryan Hunt said under his breath, his hands on his knees and his torso in an anxious crouch — a position all coaches seem to assume when a game is close.
It was the top of the seventh. An inning before, Northwestern had finally broken the ice in Tuesday’s pitcher’s duel: With the bases loaded and two outs, senior Nick Cain smacked a ground ball to a lunging Rock Hill shortstop and beat out the throw to first — and he drove in the game’s two runs in the process. 2-0, Northwestern.
And now, Darden — Northwestern’s ace who would end the game throwing 13 strikeouts — walked to the mound to see if he could finish the magnificent game he started. The South Carolina High School League doesn’t allow pitchers to start pitching to a new batter if the pitcher has already thrown 110 pitches. And Darden had already thrown 95.
“C’mon now, Ethan,” Hunt said again. “15 pitches.”
Rock Hill put up a fight in the seventh: Cole Canty began the inning with a double. Then another runner got on. Then the Trojans forced two outs but eventually had to sub Darden out because of the pitch count rule.
The rest is history, of course: Ben Venables came in and struck out the only batter he faced and earned the save. Northwestern earned a win over Rock Hill on Tuesday, 2-0.
Darden threw 6.2 innings and ended with two hits and 13 strikeouts. He was one out short of a complete-game, rivalry-game shutout.
But after the game? Darden’s demeanor? There was no frustration in sight.
“It feels so good to get a win over Rock Hill High,” Darden told The Herald Tuesday. He even credited his teammates, who backed up his two-hit, shutout performance in a postgame interview: “Every time it’s hit out in the outfield, I just close my eyes and walk away, because I know one of (my teammates) got my back.”
“He’s special, he’s special,” Hunt told reporters postgame. “I thought he was really good tonight. I don’t know what his statline was or anything like that. It was our first time letting him go 110, which is the high school pitch limit.”
Then Hunt added with a slight smile and nod: “He deserved to finish it, I thought, the way he threw.”
The Trojans earned another win over their cross-town rival on Friday, 9-2, too.
Baseball scores from York, Chester, Lancaster counties
Friday
Northwestern 9, Rock Hill 2
Northwestern took a 4-1 lead after two innings and toppled Rock Hill in a Region 4-5A game at Rock Hill. Northwestern swept the two-game series and tightened their hold on second place in the region. Mathematically, Rock Hill is still alive for the playoffs — but merely winning out doesn’t guarantee a berth.
Nation Ford 3, Clover 2
Nation Ford scored three times in the fourth to erase a 2-0 deficit and edged Clover in a Region 3-5A game at Clover. Nation Ford won the three-game series 2-1 and created a three-way tie for first place in the region.
Fort Mill 6, Gaffney 4
Fort Mill scored three times in both the fourth and fifth innings to erase a 4-0 deficit and defeat Gaffney in a region 3-5A game at Fort Mill. The win gave Fort Mill a sweep of the three-game series and created a three-way tie for first place in the region.
York 12, Lancaster 3
York raced to a 8-0 lead after three frames and toppled Lancaster in a Region 3-4A game at Lancaster. York swept the three-game series and solidified their hold on first place in the region. The three losses eliminated Lancaster from playoff contention.
Catawba Ridge 10, Indian Land 0
Catawba Ridge pounded out 11 hits and defeated Indian Land in a Region 3-4A game at Indian Land. The win clinched a playoff spot for Catawba Ridge.
Jackson Mullen and Mikey Bartkowski led Catawba Ridge with two hits and three runs batted in each. Lane Boutwell added two hits to the winning attack.
Harrison Wilson earned the win. He worked five innings. He allowing two hits while striking out four.
Fairfield Central 15, Chester 10
Fairfield Central outlasted Chester in a Region 4-3A slugfest at Chester. The teams split their two-game series for the week, and that left Chester in third place in the region at present.
Legion Collegiate 18, York Prep 0
A 14-run second-inning delivered the Lancers Friday’s win. Every batter besides one with multiple at-bats notched multiple hits. Among the team’s star pupils? Ethan Belk went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, and Cody Craig notched two hits and four RBI.
Lewisville 7, Great Falls 2
Lewisville contined their winning ways with a win over Great Falls at Richburg.
Andrew Jackson 11, Cheraw 6
Wednesday
Fort Mill 19, Gaffney 3
Nation Ford 3, Clover 0
York 8, Lancaster 0
Catawba Ridge 9, Indian Land 5
Tuesday
Northwestern 2, Rock Hill 0
Chester 12, Fairfield Central 11
Legion Collegiate 5, Buford 3
Lewisville 9, Great Falls 1
Monday
Clover 2, Nation Ford 0
Fort Mill 9, Gaffney 1
York 7, Lancaster 1
Catawba Ridge 19, Indian Land 5
Carolina Royals 14, South Pointe 3
Series to watch next week
1. Fort Mill vs. Nation Ford: Both teams are in the playoff picture. This series will go a long way in deciding the region’s two postseason teams. Both teams are 6-3 in the region as is Boiling Springs, which plays Gaffney next week.
2. York vs. South Pointe: York can solidify its hold on first place in the region with a sweep or a 2-1 series win.
3. Chester vs. Lower Richland: Chester is hanging by a thread in the playoff picture, and they must win both games in this series next week to stay alive for a postseason berth.
Region standings
Region 3-5A
Boiling Springs (6-3, 9-9)
Fort Mill (6-3, 12-8)
Nation Ford (6-3, 12-6)
Clover (5-7, 7-12)
Gaffney (1-8, 1-13)
Region 4-5A
Blythewood (8-0, 12-2)
Northwestern (6-2, 10-4)
Rock Hill (3-5, 7-12)
Spring Valley (2-6, 5-10)
Ridge View (1-7, 5-10)
Region 3-4A
York (8-1, 16-5)
Catawba Ridge (8-3, 12-5)
South Pointe (4-4, 10-9)
Lancaster (3-6, 6-10)
Indian Land (0-9, 4-13)
Region 4-3A
Mid-Carolina (4-0, 10-9)
Fairfield-Central (5-1, 5-3)
Chester (3-3, 5-7)
Lower Richland (0-4, 1-5)
Keenan (0-4, 1-6)
Region 4-2A
Legion Collegiate (7-1, 10-7)
Andrew Jackson (7-1, 9-3)
Chesterfield (6-3, 14-4)
Buford (4-4, 7-8)
Central (3-5, 4-7)
Cheraw (2-7, 3-8)
North Central (0-8, 0-10)
Region 2-1A
Lewisville (5-1, 13-6)
McBee (4-2, 5-7)
Great Falls (3-3, 3-9)
C. A. Johnson (0-6, 1-9)
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 11:14 PM.
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