By MONTE DUTTON

Laurens accepted the key to Region 2-4A on Friday night, and Clinton has a locksmith on retainer.

I was at Ed Prescott Field, even though the Raiders had already clinched the top seed but needed a victory over Wade Hampton to win the region outright. Mission accomplished. A year ago, Laurens shared the title with Riverside but was seeded first, advancing to the Upstate finals before falling to Catawba Ridge.

Clinton, once 1-2 in Region 4-3A, can take the top seed by winning a makeup game at home against Union County on Tuesday. The Red Devils have won their last four region games, the latest being in Greenwood on Friday evening against Emerald. Clinton, you may remember, is defending the state championship.

I spent most of the afternoon working on the hiring of a new Presbyterian women’s basketball coach and first decided to go to Greenwood. I changed my mind so late that I had to cut behind Lydia Mill to redirect to Laurens.

Both hands were winners, and the big one in Clinton is Tuesday night.

The only bullet the Raiders had to dodge was in the top of the first inning of their 10-3 victory over Wade Hampton. The one the Generals couldn’t dodge was Bennett Edwards.

Wells Anderson walked to lead off the game. Trevin Quinn blooped a single into center field. Mac Morris ripped a liner to right.

Uh, oh.

Laurens’ Avery Madden made a diving catch, got up and threw Anderson out at second. After another walk, Will Kay grounded to third baseman Coleman Coker.

Whew.

No one had to hold his (or her) breath again.

Zay Pulley led off the Laurens half with a single. Hunter Nabors followed with another, advancing Pulley to third, and the Raiders took the lead on Willis’s sacrifice fly. Anderson hit two of the next three batters, but Madden popped out to first base.

The Raiders (17-5, 9-3 region) padded their lead with three runs in the second inning and two apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

As for Edwards, the Laurens catcher, he made three timely swings in four visits to the plate and produced six runs with them. One was a sacrifice fly. One was a three-run double. One was a two-run single.

While Edwards was going 2/3 with six RBI, Nabors was going 3/4, also with a double, and not driving in any. That’s the way it falls sometimes. Nabors and Pulley each scored three runs.

Jordan Hudson was effective but erratic. He threw 104 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs off three hits, but the primary culprit was the nine walks he issued. The primary weapon was the five he struck out.

Bryant Smith, Seth Hill and Josh Hughes finished up. Anderson (L) of Wade Hampton (7-14, 2-9) didn’t walk any but beaned three. He gave up eight hits and six earned runs, fanning three in four innings. Two more arms followed.

Greer, by the way, edged Riverside, 1-0.

First baseman Harrison Moore doubled in a first-inning run, and Clinton (12-8, 5-2 Region 4-3A) led wire to wire to finish the week’s sweep of Emerald, 6-1.

Seven Red Devils shared the Red Devils’ nine hits, with Zane McLendon and Jaydon Glenn, recovered from an injury suffered on Tuesday night, each getting two. McLendon scored three runs. Carson Glenn and Moore each drove in two.

After scoring single runs in the first and third innings, Clinton accelerated to two in the fifth and seventh.

Eli Swancey drove in the Vikings’ only run. All five Emerald hits were singles.

Tanner Finley yielded only a hit and a walk with five strikeouts in four innings. The only Emerald run was charged to Carson Glenn, who also struck out five in 2-2/3 innings. Jaydon Glenn came on for the final out.

Emerald (7-10-1, 3-4) lost its third straight game in region play and fourth overall. Clinton has won four of five and four straight in the region.

Clinton rebounded with consecutive softball triumphs, 18-0 over Emerald on Friday night and 7-3 over River Bluff on Thursday.

Kamryn Campbell drove in five runs in the Region 4-3A victory shutout of the Vikings. The Clinton shortstop tripled and singled, scoring three runs.

Clinton (10-8, 2-6) piled up 13 hits, played errorless in the field and took advantage of seven misplays by Emerald.

Me-Me Smith shut down the Vikings on a hit and a walk, fanning six.

Smith, Sierra Templeton and Cat Wilkie joined Campbell with two hits each.

Wilkie was the winning pitcher against River Bluff. Taylor Davis, Campbell, and Halleigh Luke each had two hits. Luke’s were a double and a triple. Templeton and Wilkie also laced doubles.

Laurens Academy couldn’t hold the lead as Wardlaw (3-8) rallied with five runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh to win, 13-9, in the Crusaders’ home park.

On Monday, Laurens Academy (5-8) had defeated the Patriots, 13-7, in Johnston.

Jake Winn administered the greater part of the Wardlaw damage from the eighth slot in the batting order. He went 3/4 with two runs scored and two driven in.

Evan Asalone, Hack Hardy and Elijah Hornberger each had two hits. The teams combined for 16 hits, all singles, and eight errors.

Asalone and Hack Hardy (L) – Caleb Hardy caught – shared the pitching duties.

Nick Lee, the third Wardlaw hurler, got the decision with 3-1/3 innings of one-hit relief.

Whitmire finished off Thornwell in the duet of baseball games between the two this week.

The Wolverines won, 18-7, on Friday, dropping the Saints to 5-14.

Crue Keller drove in four runs for Whitmire (6-14), which scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Many more participated in its 18 hits.

Sam Robertson and Zack Crowe each had a pair of singles for the Saints, who have lost four straight games.

It was more of the same in softball, where Whitmire defeated Thornwell, 17-0, no-hitting the Saints behind Kenleigh Epps, who struck out 11.

Epps only pitched four innings, but they were perfect.

Of the 17 runs charged Camden Nelson (L), 15 were unearned. The Saints committed seven errors.

On Thursday night, the Laurens JV baseball team blanked James F. Byrnes, 6-0, as Noah Hughes and Jaylen Bluford combined on a two-hit shutout.

Preston Dixon led the Raiders (16-6) with two hits. Braden Yarbrough drove in two runs.

Perhaps you like the site. Perhaps you think it’s worthy of support. How much do you like it? Enough to make a small contribution to keep it going? If you’re considering it, now’s the time.

Blue, Green, Purple & Red cannot solely be funded by advertising. There’s not enough room. If you like the coverage, please donate whatever you consider appropriate via Venmo at DHK Sports. You may send a check, if you prefer, to DHK Sports, 11185 Hwy. 56N, Clinton, S.C. 29325.

If you choose, make a monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County si7te is here. The Furman site is here.

Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who appreciate my attempts to restore coverage of local sports.

In the off chance you’d like to read my novels and other books, they’re available on Amazon and many prominent bookseller sites.

Photo galleries are posted on Instagram @furmanatt and @laurenscountysports.

Thanks for your support.