Saturday’s area sports briefs
Morgan Elliott hit a two-run home run to highlight a three-run first inning and the Aynor softball team held off Johnsonville 3-2 in its Lower State tournament opener.
Hannah Seaver added an RBI double in the first, and Brooke Elliott struck out seven batters to earn the win on the mound for the Blue Jackets.
Johnsonville loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but Brooke Elliott struck out Brittany Warren to end the game.
“It was very nervous at the end but the best thing about our team is we are aren’t quitters,” Aynor coach Sandie Jones said. “Every last girl was invested and not one point in time did we think we were going to lose this game. We were going to play hard get the last out and come out on top.”
Aynor travels to Andrews on Monday in winner’s bracket game, while Johnsonville is at Dillon in a loser’s bracket game.
Aynor | 300 | 000 | 0 | — | 3 | 8 | 1 |
Johnsonville | 000 | 020 | 0 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 |
▪ W: Brooke Elliott. L: S. Young. Top hitters: Aynor: Morgan Elliott 1-2, HR, BB, 2 RBIs, run.
▪ Records: 15-3.
High school baseball
▪ Carolina Forest 4, (at) Sumter 3 | The Panthers are still alive.
With the program’s second-ever victory over the Gamecocks, Carolina Forest will meet Wando in the second round of the Lower State tournament on Monday at 6 p.m.
CF | 301 | 000 | 0 | — | 4 | 5 | 2 |
SUM | 021 | 000 | 0 | — | 3 | 4 | 1 |
▪ W: Andrew Brong. L: Teeson. S: Dylan Roberts (3). Top hitters: CF, Dylan Roberts 1-3, 2B, 3 RBIs; Hunter Baiden 1-2, RBI. Sumter, Chris Crawford 2-4.
▪ Records: Carolina Forest 20-9.
High school track and field
▪ The Waccamaw track and field program had four individuals and three relay teams qualify for the Class AA state meet via their performances in the Lower State meet at Woodland High School.
Amelia Jones qualified in the 1,600 and 3,200, Briley Arnold qualified in the 400 hurdles, J.J. Sherman qualified in the 100, 200 and 400, and Jackson Junkins qualified in the pole vault and 200.
Also, the Warriors’ girls 3,200-meter relay – Jamie Barnett, Mary Butler Despain, Jones and Arnold – and 1,600-meter relay – Jaz Torrance, Arnold, Brianna Brooks, Alexis Grove – teams qualified as did the boys 1,600-meter relay team – Jakeem Armstrong, Darnell Dadd, William Daniels and Junkins.
▪ St. James’ Alexus Alston qualified for four events in the Class AAA state meet, placing third in the triple jump (33-11 1/4), sixth in the 100 meters (12.86), sixth in the 400 hurdles (1:12.40) and eighth in the 100 hurdles (16.24) at the state qualifier at Lower Richland High School.
The Sharks’ Trey Myers (fifth, 400m hurdles, 57.40) and Jelin Bellamy (400m, eighth, 52.19) also qualified.
North Myrtle Beach’s Alexis Leonhardt qualified in the high jump (tied sixth, 5-0) and Felicity Weber earned a berth in the pole vault (fourth, 8-0).
The Chiefs’ girls 400-meter relay – Medinah Williams, Allyiah Hemingway, D’Andrea Gore and Ingrid Edge – qualified via a seventh-place finish (51.06), and North Myrtle Beach’s girls 3,200-meter relay – Lauren Linta, Caroline Rewalt, Justice Green and Wilson Jenerette – earned a berth via an eighth-place finish (11:17.22).
▪ Carolina Forest’s Michael Pieterse punched a ticket to the Class AAAA state meet after placing eighth in the 1,600 meters (4:34.14) at the state qualifier a Spring Valley High School.
High school boys tennis
▪ Socastee 5, (at) River Bluff 0 | The Braves advanced to the third round, where they will travel to South Aiken on Monday.
▪ Singles: Kyle Barr (S) def. Walker Long 6-3, 6-2; Britton Bellamy (S) def. Jack Hazel 6-2, 6-0; Noah Johnson (S) def. Steve Willis 6-0, 6-2; Caleb Bellamy (S) def. Akhil Prathipati 6-0, 6-1.
▪ Doubles: Ethan Smith/Connor Barr (S) def. Denison Yangco/Jared Lenkiewicz 6-0, 6-0.
CCU women’s golf
▪ Coastal Carolina’s Lena Schaeffner shot a 1-under 71 in the final round of the NCAA East Regional to finish second individually at 2-under 214 and qualify for the NCAA Championship tournament.
The Chanticleers failed to qualify as a team, firing a final-round 22-over 310 to finish ninth at 39-over 903. The top six from the site qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Coastal’s Malene Krolboll Hansen (79) and Frida Castillo (80) tied for 48th (229), Bailey Cocca (80) tied for 59th (231) and Emee Herbert (83) finished 91st (249).
CCU softball
▪ Longwood 5, Coastal Carolina 2 | The top-seeded Lancers scored two runs in the first inning and held off the second-seeded Chants in the semifinals of the Big South tournament.
Kory Hayden and Sara Rasley each drove in runs for Coastal.
Longwood will take on Presbyterian in the championship game Sunday.
Minor league baseball
▪ Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3, (at) Winston Salem Dash 2 (10) | Billy McKinney drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning on a sacrifice fly to lift the Pelicans in the first game of a doubleheader.
Myrtle Beach starter. Tyler Skulina allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four in six innings for a no-decision. Jasvir Rakkar got the win in relief after tossing two shutout innings.
The Florence Morning News contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 9, 2015 at 11:08 PM with the headline "Saturday’s area sports briefs."