Owen Pridgen had a slam. (Monte Dutton file photo)

GREENWOOD – Though not in the same Class 4A region, Laurens and Greenwood played for the third time on Wednesday night in the baseball playoffs.

The kill shot in the 11-9 upset was a fourth-inning, two-out grand slam by Laurens first baseman Owen Pridgen.

Also significant was winning pitcher Mason Hamby, who allowed only one run in an inning in which the Raiders committed three errors. The first three runs charged him were unearned. He toiled five tense innings, allowing four hits with six walks and six strikeouts.

Both had won their first postseason games, Laurens over Northwestern and Greenwood over Midland Valley. Greenwood entered the playoffs as the champion of Region 1, Laurens as the runner-up in Region 2.

Hamby singled in the first inning but was erased on an inning-ending double play. Likewise, T.J. Aiken, the Greenwood right fielder, singled in the bottom half, but the inning ended when catcher Elijah Tiller, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, failed in an attempted theft of second base.

Hardly any attempt of any kind failed afterwards for either team.

Shortstop Ben Willis and Pridgen singled back-to-back to open the Raider second. Catcher Bennett Edwards loaded the bases with a bunt single. After Jaedon Goodwin struck out, second baseman Hunter Nabors singled, driving in Willis, Edwards scored on an error by Tiller after Pridgen was retired at the plate on a fielder’s choice grounder to third.

Hamby walked the bases full with one out in the bottom of the second, but he extricated himself from the jam by striking out Jayden Adams and Reid Guy.

Laurens (16-9-1) struck again in the third on Willis’s single to right, scoring Hamby with its third run.

Errors by Willis and Goodwin allowed Matt Murray to put the Eagles on the board. Luke Godwin – he of Greenwood — reached on Laurens’ third error of the inning, by Hamby. The Raiders avoided further damage on Still’s groundout to Pridgen at first.

Nabors led off the fourth with a line single to center, and DH Coleman Coker followed with a base on balls. Center fielder Zay Pulley’s bunt hit loaded the bases for Hamby, who singled in Nabors. After Murray struck out Jackson Martin and Willis, Pridgen belted a grand slam to center to extend the lead to 8-1.

Greenwood (14-3) won the regular-season games over Laurens by scores of 5-1 and 15-5.

RBI singles by Willis and Edwards – the latter’s drove in two runs – pushed the Laurens lead by three more runs in the fifth inning.

Murray took the loss, giving up 12 hits and eight runs (seven earned) in 3-2/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. Andrew Driver succeeded him on the hill.

Both of Greenwood’s fifth-inning runs scored on groundouts, the former by Adams and the latter by Murray. Still singled in a sixth-inning run off Ryland Paxton, who gave way to Martin after Pat Wood walked to load the bases, but Martin hit Adams and walked Guy, pushing across two more runs. Martin came back to end the inning with strikeouts of Murray and Aiken, but the lead was down to three runs after six innings.

Another RBI single by Still cut the margin to 11-9 with two out in the seventh, but Martin struck out Wood to end it.

Laurens is back in action on Friday at North Augusta (7 p.m.), which defeated Indian Land, 10-3.