FLORENCE — South Florence won 7-4 Monday over Lugoff-Elgin, clinching its bracket and setting up a lower-state final against cross-town rival West Florence.

The Knights won the two regular-season games over the Bruins by scores of 2-0 and 4-3. Their best-of-3 lower-state finals begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Knights’ home field. Game 2 is 6:30 p.m. Friday at South, and the deciding game — if necessary — is Saturday at West (time to be determined).

On Monday, coach Bobby Jones’ South Florence squad broke away from its see-saw of a game against the Demons with two in the fifth, and the final run in the sixth. South Florence also eliminated Lugoff-Elgin‘s baseball team this past weekend and will start its lower-state baseball finals Tuesday at North Myrtle Beach.

The lower-state finals for baseball and softball are made entirely of Region 6-4A teams.

GAME TIMES FOR SF-WF SERIES

WEDNESDAY: South Florence at West Florence, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: West Florence at South Florence, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY (IF NECESSARY): At West Florence at a time yet to be determined.

In Monday’s softball win, Katie Catoe went 2 for 4 with four RBI for South (229). And winning pitcher Payton Perry, who was chased before Saturday’s 12-0 loss was over, came back Monday and went the distance while striking out eight.

“We were just a little bit more confident today; we took better swings at better pitches,” Jones said. “We didn’t chase a lot of bad pitches today.”

What resulted was a similar outcome from Game 1’s 6-2 Bruin win — South getting to Demon pitcher Reece Pickett and Lug off-Elgin committing errors.

“We put the ball in play. and the more we put it in play, better things happened,” Jones said. “And that’s what happened tonight.”

But Lugoff-Elgin took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI double by Pickett.

The Bruins’ offense then found its stride starting with the bottom of the third. Kameron Cotton singled and reached second on Sidney Morgan’s sacrifice bunt. After an error prevented the Demons from getting Out No. 2 on a fielder’s choice attempt at third, Larissa Siders’ single to left scored Cotton to tie the game.

Catoe then got her first big hit, a two-run single, for a 3-1 South advantage.

But the Demons countered in the top of the fourth for three runs of their own to go back on top. After L-E had runners on first and second with one out, Ashley Dooley’s RBI groundout brought her team within 3-2. Aubre Moore’s single then tied the game.

And after South center fielder Alaina Floyd appeared to lose Maren Cox’s fly ball in the sun, Moore scored to give the Demons their final lead at 4-3. Floyd then sparked the Bruins in the bottom of the fourth with a double before scoring on Sidney Morgan’s single to tie the contest.

Before Morgan’s run-scoring hit, L-E replaced Pickett on the mound with Mallory Branham for the rest of the game.

Siders started South’s charge to the lead for good after she reached on an error to start the fifth. She stole second and third before scoring on a Catoe single to make it 5-4 with nobody out. Then, with two outs and runners at second and third, Catoe scored on a passed ball.

And in the sixth, Blakley Blue scored on a Catoe groundout to account for the final score.

“We put the ball in play. And the more we put the ball in play, better things happened,” Jones said. “And that’s what happened tonight.”

“We came ready to play. Saturday, the week-long break really hurt us,” Catoe added. “So, we didn’t do too good. We regrouped Sunday and knew what we needed to do. And we did that.”

Another difference was Perry. “Saturday was a rough game all the way around,” Perry said. “I didn’t do my job pitching, and offensively we kind of struggled. But today, we took the bases when we needed them and hit the ball and put the ball in play when we needed to. And I pitched a better game.”

Now, it’s time for an all-Florence lower-state finals.

“It looks like we’ll be going to a cross-town rival and playing; it’s big for the Florence area and everybody should come out and support the games Wednesday and Friday,” Jones said. “It’s only going to get more (intense), but who would want it any other way? We’re excited, and we’re ready for the challenge.”