Johnsonville baseball, softball teams rolling on

The Johnsonville baseball and softball teams each started the season with the same three goals in mind.

Both accomplished the first by capturing Region 8-A titles during the regular season.

Today, they’ll begin quests for the second goal as the lower state championship playoffs get under way.

Johnsonville’s baseball team has been one of the best in the state all season. The Flashes (26-2) are batting .397 as a team with 310 hits.

They’ve lost to Bamberg- Ehrhardt each of the last two seasons, something that has motivated them all year.

“It means a lot to make it this far, but we still have two more things to accomplish,” Cook said. “The kids have worked hard all season. They’ve had one thing on their minds all year. They’re on a mission.”

Despite having lost just two games, Cook says his team isn’t looking ahead to Bamberg or to state.

“We’ve kind of kept the same mindset all year,” he said. “It’s like a new season is starting now. We have to continue to hit well and our pitchers have to throw strikes and let our defense take care of the rest.”

Johnsonville faces Lamar in the Class A bracket today at 2 p.m.

The Flashes’ softball squad managed to capture the region title in arguably the best softball region in the state.

Johnsonville (19-7) faces East Clarendon, a team that’s made the lower state bracket each of the last three seasons, today at noon.

“I think our girls are ready for the challenge,” coach Ryan Poston said. “We had an extremely tough region and, hopefully, that’s given us a leg up.”

Three of the remaining four teams in the lower state are from Region 8-A. Poston said facing familiar foes can be both positive and negative.

“You obviously know their pitchers and their hitters, but they know yours as well,” he said. “You have to play well, you have to execute, but you also have to get a few bounces your way, too.”

In other baseball playoffs, Green Sea-Floyds faces Bamberg, the defending Class A state champion and two-time defending lower state champion.

In Class 2A, Marion (18-4) hopes to continue its stellar season when it travels to take on Hanahan at 7 p.m.

“Our players have performed extremely well this season,” Marion coach Don Cribb said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked.

“We know Hanahan was a region champ, but we’ve emphasized not getting caught up in who we’re playing this year, but how we’re playing.”

In other softball playoffs, South Florence begins its journey back to the Class 4A lower state championship with a 2 p.m. game at White Knoll.

In Class 2A, Cheraw travels to Waccamaw to face the Warriors.