By MONTE DUTTON

I am of the belief that Tushawan Richardson is going to be something special at Newberry College. I am not objective, but neither am I ignorant nor naive.

Richardson, the mixologist of Red Devil offense and quarterback of the Class 2A state champions, signed up to howl with the Wolves on Friday, along with cheerleader Jamirah Rivers, who enlisted with the Flying Fleet of Erskine College.

Perhaps because Clinton threw effectively but not often, Richardson received less attention than the state’s more prolific quarterbacks, but he is also a breathtaking runner.

Richardson has not eliminated the possibility of trying out for the Wolves’ basketball team. He is a fantastic guard. Clinton head football coach Corey Fountain remarked that one of his advantages on the field was that he played football as if he were on the court.

He had some discussions with some other instate schools, naming Anderson, South Carolina State and Presbyterian, but he valued the fact that only Newberry showed interest in him as a junior. He intends to major in sports management.

“Newberry is the best fit for me,” Richardson said. “Being able to move around … it helps, especially when plays break down. You can make a play instead of having to take a loss. I fit that mold, that’s the kind of quarterback that Newberry’s looking for.”

On Tuesday night in Columbia, against one of the state’s worst baseball teams, Clinton took advantage of 16 walks and defeated the Capitals, 18-0.

On Friday night in Clinton, the Red Devils swung away and won, 19-0. Clinton batters still walked nine times, but 10 of them collected hits and both games ended after three innings. Eleven drove in runs and 14 scored.

On many occasions, two Capital hurlers hit Red Devil hitters right on the bat.

Clinton (10-4, 4-2 Region 3-2A) has shut out its last four opponents: 14-0, 10-0, 18-0 and 19-0.

Three Clinton pitchers – starter and winner Jaydon Glenn, Tanner Finley and Isaac Cane – each chipped in an inning and none allowed a hit. Columbia (0-12, 0-6) put one runner on base. Xzavionn Richardson, who was hit by a Finley pitch. The three Red Devil hurlers struck out eight of the nine other batters they faced.

Catcher Luke Young and center fielder Camden Finley each had two hits for Clinton, which played 17 players, rather unusual for a three-inning game, which is in turn possible when a team leads by 15 or more runs at that point.

Six of the Red Devils’ 12 hits went for extra bases: doubles by Brett Young, Hunter Avery, Luke Young and Tanner Finley, and triples by Camden Finley and Luke Young. Avery and Luke Young were the only players to drive in two runs. Rhett Gilliam scored three, and three others – William Addison, Maison Tinsley, Avery – scored two.

Designated hitter Tristan Buzbee drove in four runs as Laurens finished off a Region 1-4A sweep of Emerald with an 11-1 conquest of the Vikings in Greenwood.

Buzbee drove in two runs with a single in the third inning after sending in one with a second-inning sacrifice fly and before walking with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Second baseman Zay Pulley went 2/5 with an RBI double and a single. First baseman Logan Martin was 2/4, driving in two, and center fielder Brayden Patterson went 2/4 with two RBI.

Laurens (9-5, 7-2) scored a run in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth and five in the sixth.

Ryland Paxton earned the win with four innings of two-hit, one-run, six-walk and six-strikeout work. Ben Willis finished up with two innings in which he allowed a hit while fanning four.

Eli Swancey took the loss for Emerald (5-9, 1-5).

The Raiders stole seven bases, led by Willis with two. Laurens swept the three-game series by a combined margin of 37-12.

Third baseman Evan Asalone and first baseman Hack Hardy each collected a pair of hits in Laurens Academy’s 9-4 home victory over King Academy.

Caleb and Hack Hardy each laced doubles for the Crusaders (4-4).

Winning pitcher Braydon Burke pitched 5-2/3 innings, walking four and striking out. He gave up three hits, but only one of the four runs charged him was earned.

The losing pitcher was Colton Buzhardt. Elijah Hutto, Tucker McGinty, Josh Oswald and Buzhardt each had a hit for the Knights.

King led 2-1 until LA scored four times third inning.

Mason Cooper stole three bases for the Crusaders.

Ware Shoals pounded Thornwell (3-10), scoring six runs in both the first and third innings en route to a 14-1 victory.

The Saints had only two hits and committed five errors. J.P. Medlin, Ethan Carillo, Brayden Madden, Dalton Boyter and Brennan Goode each had two hits for the Hornets.

Goode was the winning pitcher. Sam Robertson took the loss.

Parker Workman and Griffin Raines rapped the Saints’ only two hits. Workman drove in the only run in the third inning.

Me-Me Smith was only 1/3 with a walk in Newberry on Thursday night.

But … she drove in five runs and hammered a grand slam in the Red Devils’ 16-2 softball victory over the Bulldogs.

Kamryn Campbell was 3/3 with four runs, but she had only one extra-base hit, a double.

Three others – winning pitcher Sierra Templeton (who also doubled), Cat Wilkie (double), Maddie Butler and Addie Watkins – collected two hits.

The Red Devils (7-8, 1-4 Region 3-2A) outhit the Bulldogs, 13-4, and scored at least two runs in every inning.

Fountain Inn handed Laurens (6-7, 3-3) its third straight softball loss, 10-0, on the Fury’s home field.

The Raiders spotted Fountain Inn six runs in the bottom of the first inning and outhit them, 10-4.

Zealy Martin, first of three Laurens pitchers, took the loss. Addison Trevino, Carly Edwards, Myleigh Robertson and Summer Nations had the Raiders’ hits, all singles. Edwards stole two bases.

Olivia Lieb went 3/4 with two runs scored and three driven in for the Fury.

Presbyterian College’s Blue-White spring scrimmage is scheduled for Friday, April 11, at Bailey Memorial Stadium, beginning at 6 p.m.

Much optimism surrounds Steve Englehart’s fourth Blue Hose football program, which finished 6-6 with four straight victories at the end of the season.

The Blue takes on the White for four 12-minute quarters. Gates open at 5.

Englehart guided the the program’s first six-win season in a decade.

PC won its final four games by an average of 18 points, enjoying an undefeated November since 2014.

Clinton High boys’ tennis remained undefeated (4-0, 2-0 Region 3-2A) with a 5-1 victory over Woodruff, losing only at No. 2 doubles.

The Red Devils next play at Blue Ridge on Monday.

# 1 Singles Nathan Meade defeated Bryce Collins 6 – 0, 6 – 0

# 2 Singles Edwin Orr defeated defeated Jacob Thompson 6 – 0, 6 – 1

# 3 Singles Jacob King defeated Owen Edmondson 6 – 0, 6 – 0

# 4 Singles Matthew King defeated Louis Phelps 6 – 0, 6 – 1

# 5 Singles Cooper Stinson defeated Jayden Lanford 6 – 4, 7 – 6 (7 – 3)

# 1 Doubles Meade & Orr DID NOT PLAY

# 2 Doubles Jacob Meyerholtz & Ethan Wargo lost to Benjamin Martin & Micah Vanadore 6 – 2, 6 – 4

Fountain Inn defeated Laurens, 165-181, in golf.

Will Knight carded a 38 and Travis Gosnell a 39.

For the Raiders, Ashton Wilson shot 42, Rich Coggins 44, Landon James 47, Layden Kernells 48 and Michael Hamby 51.

Zoe Young, bound for Tennessee State, represented Laurens women’s basketball in the North-South game, scoring 18 points and earning MVP honors.

Luke McMurry shot 35 in Clinton’s 151-156 victory over Broome. Aiden Bragg added a 37,Tallulah Wilson a 38 and Mia Carles a 41.The medalist was Jameson Dearbury of the Centurions with a 34.

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Crazy of Natural Causes is about a coach who is nearly killed in an automobile accident, gets religion and finds out there’s not much religion in those who preach it for money. Forgive Us Our Trespasses is a tale of small-town corruption.

Lightning in a Bottle and Life Gets Complicated are about rebellious stock car racer Barrie Jarman.