Wednesday was a vintage night for baseball in Laurens County. It wasn’t all successful, but the Red Devils and Raiders played exciting games in vastly different ways.

Clinton (11-4, 5-2 Region 3-2A) hasn’t allowed a run since March 24 and a hit since March 25.

Righthander Tanner Finley pitched a six-inning no-hitter, allowing one baserunner and striking out 14 of the 19 batters he faced. The only reason it wasn’t a regulation seven-inning game was that the Red Devils scored four runs in the top of the sixth that activated a 10-run rule, which was why the final score of Finley’s gem was 10-0.

As the announcers of game shows say, “But that’s not all.”

Finley, batting ninth, also mastered the fine art of batting, going 3/3 with two doubles, a run and two driven in. His battery mate, catcher Luke Young, went 2/4 with a double and a triple. Four other Red Devils – Brett Young, Owen Glenn, Talan Campbell and Rhett Gilliam – collected hits. Owen Glenn’s was a double.

Tanner Finley — not to be confused with center fielder Camden Finley, who scored a run – hurled the ball 70 times and pierced the strike zone with 50 of them. From the final out of the first inning to the last of the third, he fanned seven straight batters. He also struck out the last six.

The Red Devils allowed zero hits in two games against Columbia, but those games only lasted three innings. Clinton hasn’t been scored upon since it defeated Newberry, 12-5, and has since prevailed by consecutive margins of 14-0, 10-0, 18-0, 19-0 and 10-0. The six-game win streak has been achieved by a combined score of 83-5.

Clinton took advantage of five Griffins errors.

The Red Devils opened the game with two first-inning runs, then tacked on three in the fourth, one in the fifth and four in the sixth.

Graeme Douglas, the losing pitcher, was also the only Fairfield baserunner, thanks to a walk.

Fairfield Central (7-8, 4-2) visits Clinton on Friday.

In Fountain Inn, the Fury defeated Laurens, 6-5, on a pitch that evaded the catcher in the bottom of the eighth inning.

It was a sudden death in a crucial game for the Raiders in Region 1-4A. Laurens (9-7, 7-4)) also lost to Fountain Inn (16-3, 8-0), by a single run (1-0) on Tuesday and play them once more at home on Friday.

After trailing 4-1 after an inning, the Raiders took the lead, 5-4, on third baseman Coleman Coker’s solo home run with one out in the third inning. The Fury restored the tie on Dee Suber’s fielder’s choice in the fourth, and there the score remained until the eighth.

Joel Izxerary was batting when Anderson Hayes scored the winning run.

Coker’s blast was the only extra-base hit for Laurens, which got singles from Tristan Buzbee, Zay Pulley, Bennett Edwards, Logan Martin, Noah Hughes, Brayden Patterson and Wyatt Pinson, who also laid down a sacrifice bunt. Pulley stole two bases.

Izxerary, also the winning pitcher, and Lucas Cannon, each had two hits for the Fury.

Buzbee took the loss in relief of Hughes.

Laurens Academy (5-6) split a doubleheader with Brashier Middle College, winning the opener, 8-2, and falling, 12-3, in the nightcap.

In game one, Mason Cooper and Riley Whittaker each produced two hits at the top of the batting order. The Crusaders stole nine bases, two apiece by Ethan Collins and Whittaker. Evan Asalone was the winning pitcher.

The tables turned in game two as Brashier scored two runs in the first inning, three in the second, one in the third and six in the fourth.

Bryan Jimier went 2/2 with a double, a run scored and two driven in for the Simpsonville-based Bengals.

Cooper singled and doubled, driving in two runs, for the Crusaders. The first of five LA pitchers, Wyatt Little, took the loss.

Clinton (10-8, 4-4) has won six softball games in a row, the last three by shutouts and the last two over Fairfield Central, 5-0 and 15-0.

The Red Devils gave no quarter to the Griffins on Wednesday, putting up eight runs in the first inning. Clinton brought the game to an early conclusion by adding three in the second and four in the fourth.

Second baseman Alyssa Young, who tripled (along with Cat Wilkie), had two of the Red Devils’ seven hits, scoring three runs and driving in two. Me-Me Smith gave up just two hits and struck out six.

Dixie took a 16-6 softball victory over Thornwell (5-5) in Due West.

Camden Nelson led the Saints, going 3/3 with two doubles. Madi Porter, Skyla Bates and Bree Deese each had two hits.

Laurens won a region golf match, 176-216, over Westside.

Ashton Wilson and Landon James shared medalist honors with 42s.

Michael Hamby carded a 44, Layden Kernells a season-best 46 and Rich Coggins a 48.

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