By MONTE DUTTON The "good game, man" line (Monte Dutton photos) What’s not to like about playing a little ball on a beautiful morning? High school football is one of many arts of the possible. They don’t put the pads on till August. The High School League lets them play pitch-and-catch, and they make a …
Tag: Laurens Raiders
It takes a village
(Monte Dutton photos) Any successful team is a many splendored thing, but baseball takes it to the nth degree. Football requires many coordinated actions, but football players do not dash beyond the goalposts to retrieve the extra points. In high-school baseball, the junior varsity completes its game and then prepares the field for the varsity. …
Baseball to brag about
(Monte Dutton photos) By MONTE DUTTON The first time I heard Asher Goss was injured, Tori Patterson told me about it before a Raider game. I thought, what a shame. I had no idea it was life-threatening. It could be that Tori didn’t know, either. Conditions apparently deteriorated quickly, but Goss pulled through, some dour …
Raiders show spring in their steps
(Monte Dutton photo) Ira Bedenbaugh was in midseason form on the public address, but the teams wore practice togs, and it was not unusual for players wearing green jerseys to clobber others wearing the same. The occasion was Laurens District High’s spring scrimmage at K.C. Hanna Stadium. As a rule, offensive players wore white and …
Raiders can’t cross (Catawba) Ridge
(Monte Dutton photos) By MONTE DUTTON In baseball, and most sports, the last cut is the deepest. On Friday night, at Ed Prescott Field, it was administered by the Catawba Ridge Copperheads, so perhaps it was a strike, but it was 4-2 and advanced the Fort Mill school to the Class 4A state finals. Laurens’ …
Bats fail Raiders in Upstate opener
Bennett Edwards (Monte Dutton photo) FORT MILL – Laurens couldn’t handle Catawba Ridge pitchers Peyton Dhein and Caden Glauber, who combined on a two-hitter to throttle the Raiders, 4-0, in the first game of the Class 4A Upstate championship series Tuesday night. Mason Hamby, who took the loss on the mound, and catcher Bennett Edwards, …
Two bid for baseball titles
Mason Hamby leads the Raiders in batting average and ERA. (Monte Dutton photos) It’s not every spring one local baseball team, let alone two from Laurens County, gets to play for a state championship, and both the Laurens Raiders and the Clinton Red Devils aren’t there yet. They’re so close they can taste it. They …
Raiders take care of business with Greenwood
Head coach Tori Patterson devises a plan for Laurens success. (Monte Dutton photos) Josh Hughes handcuffed Greenwood on four hits in a complete game. Right fielder Jaedon Goodwin crashed a home run. First baseman Jackson Martin yanked a triple. Center fielder Zay Pulley made two spectacular catches. Heroes were prevalent in Laurens’ 5-1 victory on …
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Red Devils, Raiders to keep swinging bats
(Monte Dutton photo) Clinton and Laurens are both three victories into the baseball playoffs, but both are still playing familiar foes. The Red Devils are 2-0 against the Union County Yellow Jackets, and the Raiders are 1-2 against the Greenwood Eagles. In 3A, Clinton (21-3) is playing at Union in game one of the Upstate …
Still a long way from over
Clinton's Wil Stewart (Monte Dutton photos) The baseball teams of Clinton and Laurens high schools have won their share of laughers, but now the playoffs have arrived and the going’s gotten tougher. Both the Red Devils and Raiders have proved themselves tough. On Thursday night, Clinton (20-3) spotted Wren six runs and roared back to …
Nightrider's Lament 