Pee Dee Academy ends season as runners-up

It was another dramatic weekend at the SCISA State Softball Tournament. 16 teams locked up in 31 games of tense competition.

Wes Daniels and the Golden Eagles took a #3 seed into the Lexington tournament and made history, advancing farther than any team in the history of Pee Dee softball before a defeat.

Game one pitted the young, but talented and seasoned Golden Eagles against Spartanburg Christian. And, it was clear early that the opponents from Spartanburg were no match. Christen Bucy set them down in order in the top of the first, and the offense “plated” the first four batters to take quick command. Eight more runs in the second, led by Kelsey Rogers' two hits and doubles by Alex Powers, Summer Collins and Katherine Rogers ignited the blowout.

Lee Pittman would add an RBI single and the final was a 14-0 rout in which Bucy gave up only one hit and the offense totalled 12 of their own.
Waiting next in the winner's bracket was Jefferson Davis. Last year, these two clashed in an extra-inning affair. Some of the bad blood still remained and showed itself in the later innings.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, Pee Dee clawed back into the lead with another RBI hit from Katherine Rogers.
Then, Rachel Hester took her turn in the spotlight, taking the JDA pitcher's offering and lifting the ball down the leftfield line. The ball hugged it straight down, finally dropping two feet fair and over the fence for a two-run homer and a 6-1 lead for Pee Dee.

The Golden Eagles' defense also showed itself strong in this game, making one spectaclar play after another. Katherine Rogers would make an over-the-shoulder grab at second, Kelsey Rogers would make a diving catch of a fly ball in right and Hester threw one runner out at first from the seat of her pants.

Finally, in the sixth, Powers delivered an RBI single to finish a 5-for-5 day at the plate and finish off JDA in a 16-6 Pee Dee romp.
Summer Collins got the win, throwing all six inning and striking out four.

So, for the first time ever, the Golden Eagles started Saturday in the winner's bracket. And, the top seed Holly Hill Raiders would be their first test.

The game began as a pitcher's duel with Bucy locking horns with the Raider lefty. But, the defense stood strong again in three scoreless innings. It was there that Powers would get a two-out single, steal second and come home on a Caroline Shelley RBI. The defense continued to make the plays, tagging out one Raider at the plate to maintain the lead. Then, in the fifth, the Golden Eagles would plate a pair of runs to up the lead to 3-0, but then Holly Hill answered in the bottom of the frame to make it 3-2.

In the top of the sixth, Collins lead off with a single, Daleigh Huggins reached on an error, Alex Pittman walked and then Kelsey Rogers, Hester and Shelley all followed with RBIs to make it 7-2.

They would finish off the 8-5 win to come within one game of the championship. Bucy would get the win pitching, allowing only 7 hits against a potent Holly Hill offense.
The last hurdle before the big game would be powerhouse Colleton Prep. The Skyhawks would load the bases with no outs in the top of the first against Collins, but only one run would be allowed to cross.

As was the script all weekend, Pee Dee responded fast and furious. Hester would draw a one-out walk, Powers would reach on an error, Shelley would slap an RBI single and Katherine Rogers would score a pair with another single to make it 3-1 after one complete.

Hester’s single up the midle in the second scored another run to make it 4-1 Pee Dee after two. Then, the bats went quiet for two innings. There were two outs in the fifth and the gap had been narrowed to 4-2. Before the fifth ended, seven Golden Eagles would cross the plate and would put the game away. The RBI hits came from Pittman, Powers, Shelley, and Hester and the game was all but done as the lead ballooned to 11-2.

The final would be 13-3 and Pee Dee had advanced to the State Championshp Game to face the Raiders of Holly Hill.
A tight pitching duel commenced yet again. A 1-0 lead for Pee Dee would hold through the fourth, when injuries forced Golden Eagles starters out of the game. Holly Hill managed to tie the game and send it into extra frames, where they would prevail by a 7-2 score.

That forced a final game which began around 11:30 p.m. and played on until way past 1 a.m. Down two starters, the Golden Eagles fought a valiant fight, rallying to bring the tying run into scoring position before falling in the final game, 5-3, to end a brilliant, history-making run.

The softball team’s season finishes with a 26-8 record. They lose two very valuable seniors, but many have said there’s a special bond within the teammates ... they have shown poise and character under adversity, and that may well be worth more than any trophy.