South Carolina crowns its 2022 baseball state champions

Here is a recap of last week’s South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) baseball state championship series:

CLASS AAAAA
Berkeley defeats Fort Mill, 2 game to 1
(2-6, 12-7, 3-1)

It took three games, but Berkeley High finally won its first ever baseball championship with a 3-1 win over Fort Mill in the decisive third game of the SCHSL Class AAAAA state championship series.

Miller McGuire, who was tagged with the loss in the first game of the series, a 6-2 win by Fort Mill, bounced back to throw a complete game in the final, allowing just five hits.

Fort Mill (25-8) took the lead with a run in the second on an RBI single by Zach Jennings, but only three runners reached base the rest of the day. Berkeley (28-5) grabbed the lead in the home half of the second when Jackson Proctor stroked a bases-load double to plate two runs and Mason Salisbury knocked in the third run with an RBI single.

It was a tough luck loss for Fort Mill’s Connor Rasmussen, the winning pitcher in the first game, who scattered seven hits and did not allow another run the rest of the way.

CLASS AAAA
Eastside defeated Harstville, 2 games to none
(13-0, 10-9)

In the AAAA championship series, Eastside High swept a pair of games from Hartsville High, to win its second state crown since 2019.

The two games could not have been much different, as the Eagles cruised to a 13-0 victory last Tuesday, before holding on for a 10-9 win on Saturday to clinch the title.

Eastside (22-6-2) had a big early lead once again on Saturday after Brody Fowler popped a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Eagles an 8-2 advantage. Hartsville (21-9), however, made things interesting with a seven-run fifth that gave the Red Foxes a 9-8 advantage.

Jackson Moore, who led off the rally with a single and scored the first run, knocked in the tying run with an RBI single and Josh Jones followed with an RBI base hit to give Hartsville the lead. Quez Hadley had a run scoring double earlier in the inning and Ryan Thompson also had an RBI single.

The lead did not last long. Eastside moved back on top with a two-run home half of the fifth, capped by a solo home run by Jack Davis. David Mershon was the winning pitcher after he came on to record the final out in the fifth and then pitched the final two innings to close out the championship.

CLASS AAA
Oceanside Collegiate defeats Chapman, 2 games to none
(7-3, 8-0)

Oceanside Collegiate completed a special season by sweeping Chapman in the South Carolina AAA baseball championship series, wrapping up the title with an 8-0 victory in the second game of the series.

Caleb Costa silenced any hopes of Chapman making a comeback as he turned in a a two-hit, complete game shutout in the clincher for the Landsharks. Oceanside provide the only support Costa really needed when Jackson Sobel staked him to a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first. The Landsharks added three more in the second on a two-run double by Cameron Sebuck and an RBI single by Tagger Tyson.

Later Andrew Bowers and Reid Warden each added two-run singles.

CLASS AA
Andrew Jackson defeated Gray Collegiate, 2 games to 1
(8-4, 4-6, 9-0)

After suffering only its second loss of the season in the second game of the South Carolina AA baseball championship series, Andrew Jackson was very dominant in the third and final game, defeating Gray Collegiate, 9-0, on Saturday. It was the first state title in program history for the Volunteers.

Andrew Jackson (32-2) scored six times in the second inning to all but seal the deal, while Kyle Percival was in lockdown mode on the mound, pitching six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and striking out nine to get the win.

Percival also scored his team’s first run of the game after reaching on an error to start the second, one of three Gray Collegiate miscues in the inning. Brady Jackson and Brady Williams each delivered RBI singles before two errors and a wild pitch chased home the next three runs. Landon Peavey then capped the rally with an RBI single.

The Volunteers scored their final three runs in the fifth with a two-out rally. The big hits were a two-run double by Skyler Hegler and a RBI double by Percival.

Gray Collegiate finished its season at 29-4.

CLASS A
Southside Christian defeated Johnsonville, 2 games to none
(13-3, 7-4)

Southside Christian scored four times in the bottom of the fifth inning, erasing a 4-3 deficit and go on to a 7-4 win over Johnsonville, to complete a two-game sweep in the SCHSL Class baseball championship series.

Southside Christian (28-5) was led by senior Khalil Tolson, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI. Brock Holder also had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Other big contributors for the Sabres were Leif Busby (2-for-2, 2R) and Hayden Aston (2 RBI).

Nelson Vaughn worked the first five innings on the mound, allowing five hits and four runs (3 earned) to get the win. He struck out five and worked around six walks. Sophomore George Massingill worked the final two innings to get the save.

Johnsonville closed its season at 16-6.