By MONTE DUTTON

It’s hard to beat fun at the old ballpark.

Somehow, in addition to snapping over 300 photos – deleted about 200, used 15 or so, saved the rest for future use – I managed to engage in friendly conversations with friends and foes alike.

Furman assistant football coach and eminent Clinton resident Tommy Spangler, whose son Peyton is Red Devils’ head coach Sean McCarthy’s Man Friday (not to mention the other days), was beyond the Clinton dugout hanging out with CHS football coach Corey Fountain, line coach Ethan Campbell, former coach and candidate for coroner Bill Seawright and other familiar chums.

Tommy was a volunteer on Fountain’s staff in the interim between his idiotic firing as head coach at PC and his wise hiring to coach Paladin defensive backs and specialist. Predictably, Spangler excels at these duties.

It’s turnout time in Clinton, guaranteed by a state 3A championship last season and fueled by a third straight region championship in this one.

A decent percentage of everybody who’s anybody crowded the Red Devil valley park. It wasn’t completely packed, but check back when Clinton takes on Wren on Tuesday night in the playoffs.

Laurens began the season with great expectations and has to date fulfilled them. Last year the Raiders merely made it to the Upstate finals. Monday night finds Northwestern visiting Ed Prescott Field.

Both schools draw well for the ancestral sporting pastime, clearly beloved in the county.

Baseball fans are so devout that they actually read about the games and aren’t content with pretty pictures, which is good because lots of mine aren’t.

County teams have demonstrated their mettle almost across the board this spring, but baseball butters the bread.

Clinton and Laurens have wrapped up region baseball titles. Presbyterian College is in the Big South title hunt. From favorites to longshots, it’s playoff time, and that’s a beautiful thing.

It’s all over but the crying, and there’s going to be crying, whether for joy or sorrow.

Laurens (20-6), champion of Region 2-4A, hosts Northwestern (6-20) of Rock Hill on Monday night. Clinton (13-10), reigning state titlist and champion of Region 4-3A, takes on Wren (12-13) of Piedmont in the Red Devils’ valley diamond on Tuesday evening.

Laurens is seeded No. 1 overall in the 4A Upstate bracket.

Laurens Academy (5-10) opens the SCISA Class A postseason with a best-of-three series against Holly Hill Academy. The games are on Monday in Holly Hill, Tuesday in Laurens and Wednesday, if necessary, back in Holly Hill.

Thornwell (6-14), No. 4 seed from Region 2-A, visits McBee (16-6-1) on Tuesday.

Clinton (12-10) closed its softball regular season with consecutive victories over Mauldin, 11-10 on Thursday on the Mavericks’ field and 17-2 on Friday at home.

Me-Me Smith was both the winning pitcher and the batting leader in the former game. She was 4/4 with a run scored and two driven in. Sophia Sullivan was 3/4 at the bottom of the batting order. Smith, Kamryn Campbell, Sierra Templeton and Taylor Davis all laced doubles.

Carson Cobb took the loss for the Mavericks (2-14).

Ditto for Smith in the latter game, only better, on balance. She was 3/4 with three runs scored and four driven in. She homered. In the circle, she allowed three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Clinton amassed 24 hits in the two games.

In the latter game, second baseman Ella Adair was 4/4 with four runs and three RBI, hammering a pair of doubles. Halleigh Luke and Davis also doubled.

Cobb was again the losing pitcher.

Laurens (8-10, 3-5) fell, 13-3, to Wade Hampton (14-7, 6-2) in its final Region 2-4A game in Taylors.

The Generals’ nine-run fifth inning had a bit to do with the outcome.

In that inning, Wade Hampton scored nine runs off six hits. Among them were Eden Morford’s triple and Sanaii Rivers’ double.

Carly Edwards and Summer Nations each rapped two hits for the Raiders. In both cases, one was a double. In Edwards’ case, the other was a home run.

Nations (L) gave up 13 hits and runs, but only six of the latter were earned.

Wade Hampton third baseman Rivers was 4/4, with two runs and two RBI. Breleigh Betsill (2/3) drove in three runs. Five Generals had two or more hits.

Kellyn Kingston gave up six hits and three earned runs in five innings in the circle.

I’d like to thank Steamers Restaurant, which I will miss for many reasons, for its longtime support of this site. It’s been one of my hangouts as well as one of my advertisers.

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