By Thomas Grant Jr.
With three straight wins last week, the Irmo baseball team finds itself in contention for a first-round Class 4A home playoff game.
The Yellow Jackets opened at Lugoff-Elgin Tuesday as part of a home-at-home series. A sweep would put Irmo in position to take sole ownership of second place in Region 5-4A.
After defeating Midland Valley 4-1 on April 12, Irmo won two games over Westwood. In Game 1, the Yellow Jackets rallied from a 5-0 deficit and scored eight runs in the top of the seventh for a 18-8 victory.
Jayllen Frey went 2-5 with three hits and three RBI, Kyle Baker went 2-3 with three RBI, Elliott Graham hit a go-ahead 2-run homer in the fifth inning, Caden Hall and Sam Turner both drove in two runs, Mason Burnette went 2-4 and Thomas Taylor drew four walks.
Two nights later, Dylan White went 4-5 with four RBI and Burnette struck out 10 batters and allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 11-2 victory.
Both Turner and Graham again drove in two runs and David Gepper picked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Irmo closes out the season with a non-region home game against Newberry.
Irmo Softball
Like the baseball team, the Lady Yellow Jackets entered their final week with a 2-game series with Lugoff-Elgin with second place in the region on the line.
Irmo trails the Lady Blue Demons by ½ game following two wins over Westwood. After winning the first game via forfeit, the Lady Yellow Jackets rode the pitching and hitting of Lele Bennett for a 11-3 victory.
Bennett struck out 14 batters and allowed just three hits. She also went 2-4 with three RBI, including a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Georgia signee Precious Bross went 3-4 and scored four runs. Maia Lewis also batted 3-4 with two RBI and Kee Thompkins had a 2-run single.
