By MONTE DUTTON

A Furman release revealed that the Paladins have signed two “rising juniors.”

I thought, Thank God, they aren’t falling juniors.

Yes, I know, “rising” refers to someone in the next class. It’s spring, and those two promising athletes are sophomores now, but when they arrive on campus for the fall, they’ll be fully accredited juniors.

This weird sense of humor hindered me in high school but drew acclaim in college. I had never had the slightest inclination that I was funny until I arrived in college and became a sensation.

That’s a bit exaggerated. In college, when I made an attempt at humor, occasionally someone chuckled.

Kids in high school err on the side of caution. If not certified as funny, thoroughly tested and approved, no one laughed.

The usual response was, Aw, man, that was dry!

Meanwhile, it was not the best of nights in the county.

From the perspective of the Wren Golden Hurricanes, it was a sweet Tuesday in Clinton.

Wren (13-13) the fourth seed from Region 2-3A, upset the Red Devils, 8-4, in the opening game of the state baseball playoffs.

The last time the Canes played in Clinton – in the playoffs a year ago – was on May 4, 2023, when the Red Devils spotted Wren a 6-0 lead and came back to win, 7-6. It was among the more memorable nights of a state championship season. On March 30 of this season, Clinton won, 12-4, in a tournament game played against the Hurricanes at Spartanburg’s Duncan Park.

Clinton’s pitching ace, Carson Glenn, was unavailable Tuesday because of his complete-game shutout of Union County on Friday night.

Wren’s Jacob Allen (W), unfortunately, was available. The righthander turned in six strong innings, allowing five hits, four runs (two earned), two walks and a hit batter. He threw 98 pitches and fanned eight.

Clinton (13-11) sent four hurlers – Tanner Finley (L), Freddy Lopez, Jaydon Glenn and Zack Lawson – to the hill. Three gave up runs, and the one who didn’t, Lopez, failed to record an out. Jaydon Glenn was effective in his 2-2/3 innings of work, allowing only an unearned run.

Finley allowed only two hits in 3-1/3 innings but five runs (four earned) with three walks and a strikeout.

Four errors aggravated the Clinton cause.

Wren scored a first-inning run on Kamden Jowers’ sacrifice fly, but Clinton responded with two runs in the bottom half to take its only lead.

Left fielder Brett Young, the only Red Devil with two hits, singled to lead off but was thrown out on an attempted steal. Third baseman Zane McLendon lined out on a shot tracked down by Wren center fielder Jowers. Carson Glenn, the designated hitter, doubled, and Harrison Moore’s single drove in Glenn, and another double, by catcher Luke Young, drove in Moore.

The lead held until the top of the fourth inning, when Wren scored four runs on singles by  Bolton Pritchard and Max Whitfield, a walk to Connor Johnson and a Devils error. Clinton scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but only after the Hurricanes tacked on two in the top half.

Shortstop Greyson Austin produced three singles in as many at-bats for Wren, scoring twice. Allen, who moved to first when his mound work was completed, drove in two runs with a double.

Clinton faces a 6:30 p.m. elimination game on Thursday at home against Travelers Rest, which fell 6-0 to Daniel.

Laurens tied Tuesday night’s softball playoff game in the top of the third inning, but it was all downhill from there as Indian Land wound up cruising to a 12-4 opening-round victory over the Raiders.

The Warriors piled up 14 hits to the Raiders’ six. Left fielder Carnie Myers did the bulk of the damage, lashing three doubles and a single in four tries. She scored three runs and drove in four. Ava Williams and Riley Murphy belted homers for Indian Land.

Addison Trevino and Carly Edwards each went 2/4 for the Raiders. Edwards homered. Summer Nations and Azaria Johnson had the other two Laurens (8-11) singles.

The bottom six slots in the Raider batting order were a combined 0/13 at bat.

Nations (L) toughed it out, pitching a complete game in spite of allowing 14 hits and seven earned runs. She had no strikeouts.

Olivia Miller likewise went the distance in the circle for Indian Land, allowing six hits, four earned runs and two walks. She fanned eight.

Laurens faces an elimination game on Thursday at home against Pickens, which lost its first-round game, 11-3, to North Augusta,

Laurens Academy’s baseball season ended, but the Crusaders didn’t go down without a fight at home against Holly Hill Academy, which won, 4-2, after taking the first game, 10-2, on Monday.

Braydon Burke (L) gave up six hits and three runs but walked only two and struck out 10 in 6-1/3 innings and 106 pitches. Elias Littleton finished up.

What didn’t change was LA’s capacity to solve the Raiders’ pitching. Second baseman Ethan Collins’ double and third baseman Evan Asalone’s single were the only LA hits.

Mason Conner turned in a complete game, allowing only two runs (one earned) and two walks with six strikeouts. He also went 3/4 at the plate with three RBI. Third baseman Jody Gillam was 2/3. All seven of Holly Hill Academy’s hits were singles.

Laurens Academy closed its season with a record of 5-12.

Laurens Academy and Greenwood Christian shared six hits evenly between them, but the Crusaders managed to eke out a 3-2 softball verdict.

The Crusaders won in spite of committing four errors. Emily Suttles’ triple was the only extra-base hit by either team. Morgan Bolding and Madison Loe added singles.

Olivia Huck gave up just three hits and one earned run. She didn’t walk anyone and struck out nine.

Kenley Self (L) also allowed three hits, two earned runs and five walks to go with four strikeouts.

McBee ruined Thornwell’s first baseball playoff performance in decades, scored at least two runs in each of its four at-bats, and the result of all the crooked numbers was a 13-1 triumph on the Panthers’ home field.

First baseman Sam Robertson went 3/3 with a double and Thornwell’s only run.

Zach Crowe (L) surrendered 9 hits and 11 earned runs in three innings on the hill. Parker Workman and K.J. Thompson finished up the run-rule-shortened game.

J.J. Melton gave up six hits, walked two and struck out seven.

Evan Talbert led the Hawks with three hits. Alden Hughes homered.

Laurens brought up the rear in the Region 2-4A golf tournament but turned in its best team score (363) of the past two seasons.

Three players turned in personal bests.

Pearson Goss (83) and Blake Lyons (85) qualified for the Upstate tournament. Cameron shot 97 and Rich Coggins 98.

Riverside won the title with a score of 299.

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