All was well at Laurens 55 on Thursday as the Raiders swept to victories in baseball and boys’ tennis.

Behind a strong performance from lefthanded starter Jordan Hudson, Laurens bettered nearby rival Greenwood, 4-2, at Ed Prescott Field.

Third baseman Coleman Coker’s sacrifice fly put the Raiders on top for good in the first inning, and a second run scored on the play.

Laurens (4-2) outhit the Eagles, 6-4, as shortstop Ben Willis, center fielder Zay Pulley, Coker, designated hitter Asher Goss and left fielder Avery Madden collected a single apiece, and right fielder Jireh Brown cracked a double.

Pulley, Coker and Brown drove in runs. Goss and Hunter Nabors stole bases.

Hudson toiled for a strong 5-2/3 innings, allowing three hits and four walks. He fanned nine. He tossed 107 pitches.

Following the southpaw to the mound were Bryant Smith, Connor Rice and Goss, who allowed only a walk in the seventh inning, earning a save.

Second baseman Ryan Stone, shortstop Matt Murray, catcher Luke Hannah and left fielder Christopher Smith had the Yellow Jacket hits, all singles, and Smith drove in both runs.

For Greenwood, Stone was caught stealing. Marmarian Chamberlain and Hannah each reached base twice via bases on balls. Laurens pitchers yielded eight walks in the game.

The losing pitcher, Luke Godwin, gave up two hits and three runs (one earned), with three walks and four strikeouts in two innings, then he yielded to Caden Poore and moved to third.

Godwin committed all three Greenwood (2-3) errors.

Poore grounded out to Nabors, who stole a base along with Goss. Nabors and Coker committed errors.

The Raiders scored their third run in the bottom of the second when Pulley’s two-out single to center drove in Nabors, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.

The Eagles scored their runs in the sixth inning on Smith’s two-run single to center.

Brown’s double to left gave the Raiders an insurance run, sending Nabors home.

Belton-Honea Path visits Laurens on Friday evening at 6:30 and the teams play in Honea Path on Saturday afternoon at 2:30.

Clinton (4-1) fell from the unbeaten ranks in softball, falling, 3-1, to Mid-Carolina in Prosperity, despite outhitting the Rebels, 5-4.

Me-Me Smith, who took the loss in the circle, also had a hit at the plate, as did Alyssa Young, Sierra Templeton, Ella Adair and Taylor Davis. Adair and Templeton’s were two-base hits. Cat Wilkie stole a base.

Smith walked four and struck out eight, with only two earned runs. She made 114 pitches, 69 of which were strikes

The winning pitcher was Gabi Riddle, who walked two and struck out six, crossing the strike zone with 74/112 tosses.

A double by Malloree Grimsley gave the Rebels the lead in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run double.

The Red Devils host Whitmire on Monday.

Also scheduled for Friday games are Laurens Academy at Richard Winn in Winnsboro and Thornwell Charter (2-3) at Brashier Middle College in Simpsonville.

Clinton (1-3) visits Gaffney on Monday.

In softball, the Crusaders also visit the Eagles, Laurens (1-2) takes on Eastside in Taylors, and the Greenville Hurricanes, a home-schooled team, visits Thornwell (0-5).

The Laurens JVs pounded Easley, 14-2, boosted considerably by a 10-run fourth inning and sending the Green Wave home via a fifth-inning run rule Tuesday.

Collecting two hits apiece for the Raiders (3-0) were William Nunley, Ke’Allen Blackwell, Tristan Buzbee and Preston Dixon. The last laced a triple and drove in two runs. Jaylen Bluford, Braden Yarbrough and Blackwell ripped doubles.

Clinton (3-2) fell from the unbeaten ranks in JV baseball, dropping a doubleheader, 3-2 and 10-4, at Blue Ridge in Greer.

In the first game, a wild pitch allowed the winning run to score. Landon James collected two hits for the Red Devils.

In the nightcap, the Tigers dominated from the outset, scoring nine runs in the first inning. Zack Lawson led the Red Devils with two hits.

Raider boys’ tennis is 2-0 after defeating Union County, 6-1, on the home courts on Thursday.

Only Bates Turner, at No. 1, fell short, and he, according to coach Lynne Todd, “fought hard.”

The remainder of the singles lines, in order, went to Price Turner, 6-0, 6-0; Dylan Brink, 6-0, 6-0; Carson Jenkins, 6-2, 6-1; and Gibson Partee, 6-2, 6-0.

Bates and Price Turner took No. 1 doubles, 8-6, and J.P. Field and Ryland Edwards won, 6-1, 6-0.

The Raiders visit Hillcrest on Monday.

Adrienne Anderson collected both of the Saints’ hits in a 9-0 softball loss to Brashier Middle College.

One of Anderson’s hits was a double.

Only four of the eight runs charged Thornwell (0-5) starter Camden Nelson were earned.

The North-South high-school basketball games – girls at 1 p.m., boys at 3 – are scheduled for Saturday, March 16, at Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce.

No Laurens County players and coaches are on the team. Neither Laurens’ Region 2-4A nor Clinton’s Region 4-3A is represented.

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