The third-ranked team in Class 4A couldn’t stop the red-hot May River Sharks on Saturday. After a nine-inning stalemate at two runs apiece in the SCHSL District 4-4A tournament opener, Wesley Starkes’ squad found a way in the 10th, topping South Florence 3-2 on the road on a dramatic game-ending play at the plate to earn an 11th straight win and a matchup with Region 7-4A rival Beaufort High.
The home team got on the scoreboard first, as a Landon Brown bloop single scored Jake Hardee to give the Bruins a 1-0 first-inning edge, but the lead didn’t last for long. Riley Stokes smacked a leadoff double to kickstart the Shark offense in the third before James Layman drove the senior home on a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
The pitching duel continued through the first seven innings, as May River’s Darin Horn and South Florence’s Mason Lynch dominated on the mound to keep the contest knotted at 1 and send the playoff opener to extras. The Sharks grabbed the advantage in the top of the eighth with a two-out double from Walker Taylor, but South Florence had the answer in the bottom half. Aydin Palmer opened the frame with a triple, and Mikey Morris converted a one-out sacrifice fly to level the ballgame at 2.
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A pair of singles chased Horn from the contest, but Bennett Roemer denied the walk-off win with a groundout and extended the action to the ninth. Neither team could dent the scoreboard in the ensuing frame, but the Sharks quickly started a rally in the 10th with a pair of singles from Caleb Allinder and Danny Farrell before a Bruin error scored the go-ahead run on a Luke Holland ground ball.
After two quick outs in the bottom half, Morris kept the South Florence rally afloat with a five-pitch walk. It looked like trouble for the Sharks seconds after Brown belted a line-drive double to left field, but Farrell and Layman saved the day with a spectacular relay to the plate, slinging a pair of bullets to Allinder, who tagged Morris to seal an unforgettable playoff-opening victory.
The pitching was spectacular from start to finish for May River, as a masterful nine-strikeout start from Horn in 7 2-3 innings was followed by a brilliant performance from Roemer. The junior rose to the occasion when his name was called, allowing just a pair of baserunners the rest of the way to record the win.
Layman impressed from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a pair of walks. Taylor was 2-for-5 with a double while driving in a run, and Allinder collected a pair of hits and called an excellent game behind the plate before making the game-clinching tag at home.
May River (15-6) advances in the winner’s bracket and will travel to Region 7-4A foe Beaufort High on Monday with the winner advancing to the district championship game and taking the upper-hand in the double-elimination format. The two Lowco squads split the regular season series back in March.
By Wes Kerr
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