Aynor softball caps off dominating season with state championship

The Aynor Blue Jackets softball team is back on top of Class 3A.

Aynor won its second title in three seasons after defeating Belton-Honea Path, 5-1, and swept the best-of-three Class 3A softball championship series on Saturday.

It is the program’s fourth state title and second in the past three seasons. Aynor has played in four straight state championship series and won more than 100 games in that span.

The Blue Jackets lost to BHP in last year’s championship series.

Aynor won the opening game of the series, 2-1, in eight innings on Wednesday. Game 2 was originally scheduled for Friday but was moved back because of rain.

Aynor scored a pair of runs in the first inning and added two more in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.

Pitcher Alivia Hess made sure that lead stood after another dominating performance by the Blue Jackets’ staff. Hess struck out 10, allowed just one run on three hits in the complete-game victory. Hess’ effort comes after Maddie Johnson struck out 11 and allowed just two hits in the opening game.

Aynor allowed just 22 runs this year and didn’t allow more than two runs in a game all season.

Hess and Hannah Lewis each had two hits and an RBI to lead Aynor. Alaina Brown was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Caroline Gaskins was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Aynor (29-2) finished the season on a 15-game winning streak with the last loss to Class 5A Summerville on April 11. The Blue Jackets’ other loss this season was against Catawba Ridge. Both Catawba Ridge and Summerville played in state championship series in other classifications.

This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM.