By MONTE DUTTON

NINETY SIX – Softball ran its course for Clinton High on a hot Monday evening as Ninety Six eliminated the Red Devils from the Class 2A Upstate bracket, 8-2.

Clinton (19-7) banged out seven hits, among them doubles by Alyssa Young and Sierra Templeton, but couldn’t group enough together off Ninety Six pitcher Jocelyn Coleman, who, to borrow a familiar cliché, scattered the Red Devils’ safeties. She gave up two walks and struck out nine. Only one of the two runs she allowed was earned.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, weary Clinton starter Me-Me Smith, who pitched complete games twice last week, gave up two walks and hit a batter. Coleman singled to left field, scoring Olivia Coster, and Katie Allen’s two-out single to center drove in Katie Fortner.

Ninety Six (15-6) didn’t lead wire to wire. The Red Devils tied the game in the fourth inning on Young’s double. Clinton had scratched out its first run in the second when Taylor Davis reached on an error, scoring Templeton, who had doubled.

The stalemate was short-lived. Ninety Six quickly put up three runs in both the fourth and fifth. Cat Wilkie took the loss, toiling five innings and allowing six runs off seven hits and six walks. She struck out nine.

Only Lyla Kuykendall collected two hits for the Devils, although five others hit safely. Clinton put two runners on base with two out in the fifth inning but went down in order in the sixth and seventh.

Coster, Coleman and Emily Jones each had two hits and scored twice for the Wildcats.

Clinton (28-3) is very much alive in the baseball playoffs. The Red Devils have to win only once against Batesburg-Leesville (20-9) to claim the Upstate championship and play for the state title.

The Panthers, who lost at home, 11-0, to the Red Devils on Saturday, stayed alive by defeating Chesnee (22-12) on Monday, and take on the Red Devils in Clinton on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Should Batesburg-Leesville win that game, another follows.

Red Devil athletes from all sports are to be honored on Tuesday in 6 p.m. awards ceremonies that begin in the main gym.

Gardner-Webb (25-30, 10-14 Big South) brought down the curtain on Presbyterian College’s worst baseball season, capturing the final series with victories of 11-6 and 9-2 after the Blue Hose won the opener, 11-2.

PC (12-44, 8-16) lost five of its final six games.

The Blue Hose rank 11^th in a field of 14 after one round of the NCAA men’s golf Bermuda Run (Winston-Salem, N.C.) region.

Gage Gaskins is tied for ninth in the individual standings after an opening-round 70.

Virginia leads the regional at 271, 19 shots ahead of Big South champ PC.

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