By MONTE DUTTON

It seemed too fast for a baseball game.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning on Friday evening, Clayton Kyko reached base on an error by Fairfield Central’s Caden Brown. Graydon Watkins, who had doubled, scored what was perversely the winning run. It was Clinton’s 15^th, and a 15-run lead in the third inning ends a game. It’s called a run rule. The Red Devils have won eight times that way.

Clinton (17-2, 7-1 Region 3-2A) once again turned a baseball game into Mario Brothers. All the Red Devils needed were bells and whistles. Undoubtedly a fan walked up the steps to the top of the hill to visit the concession stand and returned in time to watch the players clean up the field.

They packed a lot of punch into 2-1/3 innings at the plate. Clinton scored 15 runs off nine hits, six walks, four hit batters and six doubles. Fairfield Central (3-11, 3-4) had one hit, by Brown, and six errors.

Clinton scored three runs in the first inning, six in the second and six in the third. Tanner Finley (3/3), Camden Finley (2/2), Luke Young (1/1) and Watkins (1/1) were perfect at the plate. Tanner Finley enjoyed a pleasant two innings on the hill, allowing a hit and striking out four. He also drove in six runs, doubled twice and stole a base.

Camden Finley and Jaydon Glenn each stole two bases, supplemented by single thefts from. Owen Glenn, Talan Campbell and Tanner Finley.

What might have been? Head coach Peyton Spangler was about to posit the Red Devils’ outstanding catcher, Young, on the mound for the first time. The game didn’t last long enough. Zack Lawson closed out by retiring Fairfield Central in order in the top of the third.

Leading 9-0 entering the bottom of the third inning, Camden Finley led off with a single off Griffins reliever Brandon Adams, who then beaned Jaydon Glenn. Avery Barnes grounded out, the only out. Finley scored. The next three batters – Owen Glenn, Tanner Finley and Graydon Watkins – all doubled, and by the time the dust subsided, it was 14-0.

The game was both little and loud.

Then Kyko reached on an error, Watkins scored and everybody got home in time to post videos.

It was about the same deal up the aforementioned hill, where Clinton (12-4, 6-2) prevailed over Fairfield Central (4-7, 2-5) by a score of, yes, 15-0, in softball.

It also lasted three innings, but two were away when Addie Watkins singled in the 15^th run.

Halleigh Duke, who doubled, collected two hits, as did Kamryn Campbell and Me-Me Smith.

Sierra Templeton limited the Griffins to a hit and a walk while striking out six of the 12 batters she faced.

The Upstate Friars (0-8), of Greenville, were more like fryers on Thursday, when Laurens Academy (8-5) thrashed them, 20-4. Evan Asalone, George Sherer and Mason Cooper each had two hits.

The Crusaders spent as much time walking as hitting, totaling eight in both categories.

The softball action in Greenville on Thursday wasn’t exactly gripping, either. Laurens (9-10, 4-3 Region 1-4A) escaped with a 28-6 decision over Southside.

Addison Trevino, Carly Edwards, Myleigh Robertson and Zealy Martin each had three of the Raiders’ 22 hits. Martin homered and drove in seven.

Thornwell baseball (6-13) fell hard, 15-0, at Dixie (9-5).

In other words, things went south in Due West. The game only went three innings, but the Saints didn’t manage a hit.

The Saints softball team (7-6) won big over McCormick, 13-3. Lexi Hazel and Madi Porter homered amid Thornwell’s 11 hits.

Meanwhile, lowly Presbyterian College (9-30, 5-8) picked up its third straight Big South baseball win with a 3-2 nailbiter over Longwood (21-17, 6-7) in Farmwood, Va., outhitting the Lancers, 8-4.

Tyrell Williams (1-2) pitched seven strong innings, and Robbie Boykin earned his first save and PC won the first of a three-game series.

Last weekend in Clinton, the Blue Hose handed Winthrop its only two conference losses of the season to date.

Audrey Burton’s three-run homer in the first inning put Presbyterian (18-26, 6-7) on track for a 7-5 softball victory over Charleston Southern (7-37, 2-11).

Peyton Duncan (10-12) retired six of the last seven Buccaneers batters to earn the decision in relief of Avery Robinson.

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Most of my books are available at Amazon. Two of my novels, Cowboys Come Home and Lightning in a Bottle, are available in audio versions.