By MONTE DUTTON

The Clinton Junior American Legion Post 56 baseball team has a long name and a long way to go.

They’ll get there, though, Batesburg-Leesville Post 7’s 13-12 victory on Wednesday night, notwithstanding.

Clinton High JV and assistant varsity coach Peyton Spangler directs the summertime escapades of players, most of whom will suit up next spring and many of whom have recently touched down from a Class 3A state championship. Varsity head coach Sean McCarthy is seldom far away.

For instance, McCarthy was selling tickets on Wednesday before gravitating to the dugout as the game moved along.

The Junior Legion program builds character. Before the game, the kids repeat the American Legion’s pledge to embody sportsmanship, fellowship, citizenship, gamesmanship and, quite possibly, penmanship, kinship and horsemanship. I should have paid better attention.

Clinton’s team embodies the Red Devil Way, which involves sound fundamentals, aggressive baserunning, selfless play, character and togetherness. It’s the way CHS won its first state title in 62 years.

The Junior Legion team is 1-3. It has scored 30 runs and allowed 35. It will get better. It will perfect all the little things that go into winning a state championship. That’s what happened last year.

The run that won the game that nailed the Class 3A title down could’ve summed up the entire season. With the score tied 4-4 with Hanahan, Justin Copeland walked, Caleb Taylor bunted expertly, Copeland raced all the way to third, and the Hawks’ first baseman, Hunter Gomes, tried frantically to throw Copeland out. The throw sailed past the Hanahan third baseman, and Copeland scored to give the Red Devils their 5-4 margin. They won lots of games by gaudy scores, but they also won lots by the Red Devil Way as taught by McCarthy, Spangler and company.

The Red Devil Way is in its infancy with the Junior Legion program. Some of the players are still getting their fundamentals down. They’re trotting into second base when hustling would have secured third. Posts 7 and 56 combined for 25 runs, 28 hits and 7 errors, with the visitors from Batesburg and Leesville leading in all three categories. The Panthers and Devils used seven pitchers who issued 10 walks and plunked four batters.

Dee Suber led the locals with three hits. Bryce Young had 2, as did Luke Young, and Tanner Finley, who started on the mound, drove in three runs.

The B-L shortstop, Tucker Bolen, and the first baseman, John Sawyer, each collected four hits. The latter drove in seven.

It’s all going to get smoother as this season rolls along, and the plan is that by next spring, it will be silky. That’s the way it worked between last summer and this spring.