FORT MILL – Laurens couldn’t handle Catawba Ridge pitchers Peyton Dhein and Caden Glauber, who combined on a two-hitter to throttle the Raiders, 4-0, in the first game of the Class 4A Upstate championship series Tuesday night.

Mason Hamby, who took the loss on the mound, and catcher Bennett Edwards, had Laurens’ only hits, both singles.

The Copperheads’ catcher, Sam Schwamb, had two hits, one of which was a triple.

Hamby singled with one out in the first inning, but Catawba Ridge starter Dhein struck out Jackson Martin. Ben Willis grounded out to short.

Jake McCoy led off with a single for the Copperheads, and Owen Noonan reached on an error by LDHS third baseman Jack Yarbrough, advancing McCoy to third. After Hamby struck out Jackson Mullen, he hit Brennan Helms and Britton Nash, the latter scoring McCoy. Hamby started a double play on a grounder by Sam Schwamb to get Laurens (18-10-1) out of the inning.

The Raiders also got a one-out single from Bennett Edwards in the second inning. Jaedon Goodwin fanned, but Edwards advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hunter Nabors grounded out to third.

Dhein walked for Catawba Ridge (22-6), but the second inning ended when Edwards threw him out attempting to steal.

After Dhein struck out Yarbrough and Pulley in the third inning, Hamby reached on an error by Dhein. Martin popped up for the third out.

McCoy walked and Noonan singled to lead off the bottom half. Hamby fanned Mullen, but McCoy reached third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Helms scored McCoy, and Nash became the third batter hit by Hamby. Schwamb’s two-out single drove in Noonan, and the Copperheads led, 3-0.

Willis and Pridgen both grounded out to the mound to open the fourth inning. Dhein hit Edwards, but Goodwin also grounded out to Dhein, who led off the bottom half with a double to left field. Hamby struck out Jonathan Barschow, but Dhien moved to third on a wild pitch and McCoy walked. Left fielder Martin turned Noonan’s fly into a double play, throwing out Dhien at the plate.

Hamby pitched 3-1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three runs (2 earned), three walks and three hit batters. He struck out three before giving way to Grayson Ledford.

Nabors reached on a Helms error to open the fifth, marking the first time LDHS managed to put a leadoff man on base. Yarbrough lined out, Pulley flied to center and Hamby was hit by a pitch, but Martin popped up to Helms in foul territory near third base. Laurens left five on base in the first five innings.

Schwamb tripled to right on a 3-1 pitch, driving in Helms, who had walked, for the Copperheads’ fourth run. The fifth inning ended with Schwamb being tagged out by Edwards on an attempted steal of home.

Willis led off the Raider sixth with a walk, Dhein’s first. Helms caught Pridgen’s pop and doubled Willis off first base, and Edwards flied out to Mullen in left field.

A two-base error by Yarbrough put Dhein on second base with one out in the bottom half. Barschow struck out, and Noonan flied to Pulley in center.

Dhein finished up on the mound, having thrown 108 pitches and given up two hits, a walk and a hit batter in six innings. Caden Glauber retired the Raiders in order, finishing off the third shutout hurled against them this season.

The teams play each other again on Thursday night in Laurens.