The Catawba Ridge Copperheads baseball team scored three runs in the fifth inning to rally past the visiting Wade Hampton Generals to open the 4A playoffs.
Catawba Ridge won 4-2 over Wade Hampton and improved to 21-5 overall on the season Monday night. Copperheads pitcher Jackson Mullen pitched a complete game allowing two runs on six hits, while walking three and striking out nine.
It took him a while to get settled in on the mound, but was strong once he did.
“Jackson is battled tested,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Stas Swerdzewski. “The guy has been great for us. They had some fortunate at-bats and it got them going. He pitched great for us. It is the way you want to start out in the playoffs. We knew we were going to have to battle. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but we got the job done.”
Catawba Ridge has either South Aiken or Easley in the next game of the double elimination District tournament on Wednesday.
Wade Hampton got to Mullen early and scored two runs in the top of the first. Those runs came off three hits for the Generals.
In the second inning, Mullen found his normal groove and retired the side on three strikeouts.
Wade Hampton threatened in the third inning, but Mullen was able to work his way out of the jam.
Catawba Ridge was able to score in the top of the first to cut into the Generals lead off an error.
Beside the score, the Copperheads struggled some getting base runners. Sam Schwamb hit a double in the top of the fourth but had a pinch runner picked off to end the inning.
Mullen again worked out of a jam in the fifth inning including getting an out at home as third baseman Brennen Helms threw a runner out at the plate on a little chopper.
In the bottom of the inning, Owen Noonan put runners on the corners with no outs on a single.
Wade Hampton loaded the bases on an intentional walk with one out. A suicide squeeze by Britton Nash led to a comedy of errors that scored all three runs for the Copperheads. Catawba Ridge would leave the inning with a 4-2 lead heading into the last two innings.
Mullen then finished off Wade Hampton in the sixth and seventh innings to clinch the win for the Copperheads.
At the plate, Catawba Ridge was led by Schwamb, Noonan and Mullen, all of which went 1-3 in the game.
May 1 Roundup
Nation Ford
The Nation Ford Falcons softball team ended their regular season with a 16-1 loss to Clover and finished the regular season at 8-9 overall and 6-4 in Region 3-5A play. Nation Ford will open the playoffs on the road this week at Dorman.
The Nation Ford boys’ soccer team won over Byrnes on the road to open the 5A state playoffs with a 3-1 win on the first round. Nation Ford will travel to JL Mann for the second round on Wednesday, May 3.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
