It was “Championship Saturday” for three Lexington County teams. 

Both the Batesburg-Leesville and Airport baseball teams ended long title droughts by wrapping up their respective series. Meanwhile, Gray Collegiate Academy softball clinched its third state title in four years and first in Class 4A. 

The Lady War Eagles were first at home, facing York in the deciding game of their series. Aspen Boulware gave them a 1-0 lead with a solo home run, only for the Lady Cougars to strike back with an RBI single and solo home run over the next two innings to take a 2-1 lead.

Gray Collegiate answered with a pair of 2-run homers by seniors Maddox Long and Kayla Anderson. Both times in the fourth and fifth innings, the home runs scored Madison Bumgarner who pitch ran in place of reliever Makenzie Sease. 

Long pitched the first three innings and struck out three batters. Sease finished the season with three strikeouts and one hit allowed in four scoring innings as she retired the final six batters. 

Gray Collegiate finished the season 32-3. Over the past four seasons, it has posted a 29-3 record in the playoffs. 

“We’ve been in (Class) 2A and people said we couldn’t play in (Class) 4A,” Gray Collegiate head coach Doug Frye said. “We knew we could. We’re a good team.”

BATESBURG-LEESVILLE 

Founders Park on the campus of the University of South Carolina was the site for the deciding game in the Class 2A baseball final. 

The Panthers were seeking their first state title since 1949. Playing before 1,271 people, they fell behind 1-0 before scoring three runs in each of the next two innings. 

Braydan Hallman led the Panthers with three RBI. On the mound, he allowed three runs and struck out nine in four innings and recorded the game’s final out catching a popout at shortstop.

“These kids have battled all year,” Panthers head coach Rob Bouknight said. “They’ve been here since eighth graders. You know, words can’t put into what we’re feeling right now. We’re so happy and so blessed.” 

Batesburg-Leesville finished the season with a 24-6-1 record

AIRPORT 

“Championship Saturday” closed with an historic moment in West Columbia. 

In the history of school athletics, no baseball team had won a state title. Having gone 7-0 in the post-season, this year’s Eagles look to change that fact by clinching their Class 4A final series with visiting Seneca. 

A raucous standing-room-only crowd got to cheer in the third inning. A bunt by Braden Gross was mishandled by the Bobcats and allowed two baserunners to score. 

On the mound, Hunter Epps continued Airport’s run of dominant pitching. He held Seneca to four hits, struck out six and walked one in six innings. 

With Epps holding the Bobcats at bay, the Airport bats erupted in the Bottom 5th. The Eagles scored five runs, two on a single by Justin Slightler, to extend the lead to 7-0. 

Epps led off the sixth with a double and scored on Gillette’s single. After Gillette advanced to second on the throw to home plate and moved to third on a wild pitch, Jeffcoat drew a walk and stole second. 

Gross came back to the plate and cleared the bases with a 2-run single. This ended the game on the mercy rule and gave the Eagles the 10-0 victory for the championship. 

Airport finished 8-0 in the post-season. 

“I’m never going to forget this moment,” he said. “It’s something that we worked hard for. Four days working out during the summer, this is what we’re used to.” 

Lexington and Saluda saw their respective title quests end with series defeats. 

At Riley Park in Sumter, the Wildcats fell in extra inning 6-5 to James Island. It was the deciding game of the Class 5A Division I final. 

Down 3-0, Lexington rallied to tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings. A sacrifice fly by Toby Sobieralski gave the Wildcats a 5-4 lead in the Top 8th. 

The Trojans answered with two runs in the Bottom 8th, capped by a walk off RBI single by James Amman. It was their fourth state title in school history. 

“I just hate it like heck for the seniors because they mean the world to us,” Lexington head coach Brian Hucks said. “To be beat down like we were, to fight back, things were going wrong and get us back in the game. That’s a heck of a baseball team over there. You have to tip your cap to them. They were one run better than us twice in the championship games. I think being the home team was so big in a game like this and them winning the toss at the last at-bat was the difference.” 

Lexington finished the season with a 22-11-1 record.  

Over in Saluda, the Lady Tigers saw their first-ever title appearance end with a 5-3 loss in Game 2 to East Clarendon. 

The Lady Wolverines led the entire game. They scored two runs in the first and held Saluda to just an RBI double by Nyla Jordan in the Bottom 3rd. 

Down 5-1 in the seventh inning, the Lady Tigers mounted a final comeback. With two outs, Miller Martin reached base on an error. 

Karen Almarez followed with a 2-run homer to keep Saluda’s hopes alive. Jayme Sheaffer ended the game with a popout.