By Thomas Grant Jr.
Dutch Fork was one of three teams with an opportunity to claim a share of Region 4-5A softball title.
The Lady Silver Foxes visited Lexington last Friday looking to sweep the season series. Just a week earlier, they rallied from a 6-0 deficit with 10 unanswered runs to defeat the Lady Wildcats 10-9.
This time around, Haley Manz drew 6 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out five in defeating Dutch Fork 8-3.
Ayanna Russell had a 2-out, 3-run home run to end the shutout bid by Lexington, which earned a share of the region title with Chapin.
The loss, coupled with Chapin’s win over River Bluff, dropped Dutch Fork to third place in the region. They opened the Class 5A playoffs Wednesday at Gaffney.
In baseball, Dutch Fork snapped a five-game losing streak by ending the season with a 4-3 win over Lexington in eight innings. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ethan Offing tied the game with a single.
In the bottom of the eighth, Matthew Rollison hit a walk off RBI double to end the game.
The Silver Foxes finished third in Region 4-5A and traveled to Boiling Springs Wednesday.
The soccer playoffs opened Monday with Dutch Fork losing 6-1 to Stratford. The Lady Silver Foxes opened the post-season Tuesday at Wando.
IRMO
The Yellow Jackets opened the Class 4A playoffs with an 8-2 loss at May River.
Ty Rivers and Sam Turner both drove in runs for Irmo, who played host Wednesday to Bluffton in an elimination game.
The Lady Yellow Jackets opened the playoffs Tuesday at Lucy Beckham.
In boys soccer, Irmo had a first-round bye and faced the Lucy Beckham/North Myrtle Beach winner Wednesday. The Lady Yellow Jackets traveled Tuesday and lost to North Myrtle Beach, 3-0.
