By Thomas Grant Jr.
The rainy weather has proven as formidable for Irmo and Dutch Fork baseball teams than its opponents.
Each team has seen its Class 5A playoff schedule interrupted by the conditions. Both the Yellow Jackets and Silver Foxes also find themselves awaiting ‘must-win’ games after losses this past Saturday.
Fresh off advancing in the post-season for the first time since 2019 after beating Westwood in a Best-of-Three play-in series, Irmo traveled to West Florence.
The Yellow Jackets fell behind 10-3 before scoring three runs in the Top 6th. Cooper Klosterman had a 2-run single and Nolan May followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Irmo will face the loser between Lucy Beckham and Lexington/Richland District Five and Region 4-5A rival Chapin on Thursday.
Dutch Fork was scheduled Wednesday to face J.F. Byrnes in a Division I Upper State District Two elimination game. The Silver Foxes fell 2-1 at home to J.L. Mann after the visiting Patriots rallied for two runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Pitcher Boone Miller struck out seven batters and allowed just three hits and a run in 6 ½ innings. Braydon Johnson took the loss after allowing two hits and the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.
Coleman Fryer had an RBI double for Dutch Fork’s lone run.
In Class 3A, Newberry had its season end in the District 6 with an 8-4 loss at Aynor. Meanwhile, Mid-Carolina is scheduled to play host to Landrum, needing just a win to secure the Class 2A Upper State District Three championship.
SOFTBALL & BOYS SOCCER
The Lady Silver Foxes saw their softball season end with a 12-2 loss in six innings to Region 4-5A rival Lexington on Tuesday.
The same was true this past Saturday. The Wildcats boys defeated Dutch Fork 3-1 in the second round of the Class 5A Upper State Division I soccer playoffs.
In Class 2A softball, Mid-Carolina faced High School in a Class 2A Upper State District Three elimination game. The winner faces Pelion Thursday in the final.
