FLORENCE, S.C. — Eighth-ranked South Florence scored six runs in the second and won 12-5 over Greer in Wednesday’s second round of the Class 4A lower-state bracket.
For Friday’s third round, South — seeded second in its bracket — will play on the road at 7 p.m. at Lugoff-Elgin.
Bruin pitcher Dylan Wiegel got out of a jam in the top of Wednesday’s second inning, and the Bruins’ offense came to life.
Hunter Matthews’ RBI single was followed by a two-run hit from Wyatt Williams for a 3-0 lead. Brayden Robinson’s run-scoring double made it 4-0 and chased Greer starter Cody Southern.
Against Yellow Jacket reliever Luke Godfrey, the Bruins didn’t skip a beat when Chandler Thompson’s bloop single brought in a run as did Luke Miller’s sacrifice fly.
After Greer stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second, it got back into the game with four runs in the third.
Run-scoring singles were hit by Gavin Hug, Chase Kelly and J.J. Callaham. Also, there was an RBI double by Jacob Rainey. By the end of this inning, Miller — the winning pitcher — replaced Wiegel and went the rest of the way. Miller, a regular starter who made his first relief appearance this season, finished his 3 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and one unearned run scored against him.
“(Gray) told me at the beginning of the week I needed to be ready to come into the game in relief,” said Miller, who homered in Monday’s playoff opener against Westwood. “So, that’s what I prepared for.
“I just had to get two batters out,” he added of the top of the third. “I had one out at the time. If you come in to start an inning, it’s ‘Get three batters out.’ And if you come into the game in a jam, it’s ‘Get however many batters out that you need to get out.’ That was my mindset coming in, and I think it helped.”
Gray was impressed.
“Luke really stepped it up tonight,” said Gray, whose Bruins improved to 22-5. Gray is one win away from equaling his single-season best for wins (23 in 2021). “He came in throwing strikes and his fastball had good velocity. And his slider looked good. It’s different when you come into a game in relief. He got into a routine and got himself ready and did a good job for us.”
In the bottom of the third, the Bruins pulled away for good with four more runs. After Aydin Palmer led with a double, he scored on Matthews’ single. Hunter McClary, who combined with Palmer on the mound for Monday’s five-inning no-hitter against Westwood, drove in a run of his own to make it 6-0. Thompson added another RBI single, and Miller added another sacrifice fly to make it 10-4.
Matthews’ sac fly in the bottom of the sixth, along with another run-scoring single by McClary, accounted for the rest of South’s runs.
“We preach to the guys to always answer back,” Gray said. “After Greer got the four runs, our guys didn’t blink; we scored four more. And after they scored one more, we scored two more after that.”
That’s what Gray wants to see.
“You really want to peak at the right time,” Gray said. “And right now, from a hitting standpoint, we’re swinging with a lot of confidence at the plate. Hopefully, that will carry over into Lugoff-Elgin.”
May 3, 2023 | Morning News (Florence, SC)
Author/Byline: SCOTT CHANCEY Morning Newsschancey@florencenews.com | Section: Sports