By MONTE DUTTON

How many times do you see a team with five straight shutouts … itself get shut out?

About as many times as you see a team turn a triple play … and lose.

The latter happened to Laurens in the second inning of Monday night’s 5-0 victory over Clinton. With two runners on base, Laurens’ Tristan Buzbee flied out to Clinton right fielder Owen Glenn. Coleman Coker, who had singled to lead off, was called out on an appeal, and Jireh Brown was thrown out at the plate on a throw from third baseman Tanner Finley to catcher Luke Young. A run on the scoreboard came off it.

But no matter. The Raiders (10-8) ended the Red Devils’ winning streak at six and its shutout streak at five. The going had not been particularly tough for Clinton (11-5), which had won its five previous Region 3-2A games by a combined total of 71-0 and hadn’t played a full seven innings since a 12-5 decision over Newberry on March 24.

Meanwhile, Laurens was coming off three close losses to Region 1-4A kingpin Fountain Inn.

Both teams were due, the Raiders for a victory and the Red Devils for a fight. They got them on a breezy night at Ed Prescott Field.

Clinton couldn’t solve the pitching of lefthander Grayson Ledford, who limited it to four hits and two walks. He retired eight Red Devils swinging, then turned the mound over to Connor Rice, who retired Clinton in order in the seventh.

Laurens finally pulled ahead on third baseman Coker’s leadoff homer in the fifth inning. He hammered a 1-1 pitch from losing pitcher Jaydon Glenn, who deserved better. Glenn went the distance, yielding only six hits and two walks. Only two of the five runs charged him were earned. Glenn fanned four.

Three of Clinton’s four hits were doubles: Camden Finley, Brett Young and Owen Glenn. The last added a single. He and Laurens’ Coker were the only players in the game who had more than a single safety. Brown doubled for the Raiders.

Laurens can take the county title for the second year in a row with a victory on Tuesday at about 7:30, when the teams play again in Clinton.

The Raiders also won the junior varsity game, 10-4. capitalizing on two hits apiece by Jaylen Bluford and Bryson Redd, both of whom scored two runs and drive in three.

William Addison homered for the Red Devils, and Graydon Watkins drove in the other three Clinton runs.

Presbyterian (19-23, 3-9) hosted a Big South series for the first time in nearly a month but saw its skid reach eight games with consecutive losses – 8-5, 10-5 and 5-1 – against Gardner-Webb (21-24, 4-8).

The Blue Hose leave home and the Big South for a Wednesday doubleheader at North Carolina A&T. PC then visits Winthrop for a single game on Friday at 4 p.m. and a Saturday twinbill beginning at 1.

For the third consecutive year, Gardner-Webb has earned the No. 1 seed in the Big South Men’s Tennis Championship.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs finished the regular season as the outright Big South champion with their 3-0 league record and are seeking the program’s first Big South Tournament crown.

Defending champion UNC Asheville finished second in the Big South standings at 2-1 to earn the No. 2 seed, while Longwood is the No. 3 seed based on its 1-2 conference finish.  Presbyterian Collegereceived the fourth and final seed with its 0-3 league record.

For the first time since 2022, Charleston Southern has earned the No. 1 seed in the Big South Women’s Tennis Championship.  The Buccaneers finished 5-0 in Big South matches and won the outright regular-season title for the sixth time.

CSU is seeking its first Big South Tournament crown since 2023 and fourth overall.

 Defending champion UNC Asheville finished 4-1 in league contests to earn the No. 2 seed, men’s and women’s tournaments are Friday and Saturday at Lexington County Tennis Complex.

Thornwell Charter (5-11) didn’t have much of a shot in a home baseball game against Dixie, which scored eight runs in the first inning and 12 in the second for a 20-2, three-inning affair.

The Hornets outhit the Saints, 11-1, and played errorless ball while Thornwell was committing eight.

Tru’Mari Kinard-Shelton rapped Thornwell’s only hit.

The teams play in Due West on Tuesday at 7.

The Masters is as much a movie as it is a sporting event. It is a whodunit, a dark comedy, a suspense thriller and, occasionally, accessorized with stunts and sci-fi.

And terror. I seem to remember seeing a recent trailer about a group of young people invited into a murderous wonderland, which is an apt description of Augusta National.

I was surprised that Bryson De Chambeau faded but not that Rory McIlroy mainly had to defeat himself. Everyone who’s ever played golf has dealt with pressure, from the lowliest duffer to, well, McIlroy. It’s a shame Alfred Hitchcock didn’t live to direct the show.

What can I do to get you to sample my fiction? How about a cheap sample of short stories, Longer Songs? The stories all originated in songs I’ve written. It’s been a few years since I published it. Not too long ago, I read it – before that, I merely wrote it – and, amazingly, I still thought it was pretty good. Remember, most people don’t write crap on purpose.

Most of my books are available at Amazon.