SOFTBALL: Flashes advance to state title series

JOHNSONVILLE — Johnsonville scored all three of its runs in the first inning and Rachel Gaster shut out East Clarendon on one hit as the Flashes earned a 3-0 win Friday in the Class A lower state softball championship.

The Flashes move into the state championship series for the first time in school history and will host Buford on Monday.

“We set three goals, to win region, to win lower state and then state,” Johnsonville coach Ryan Poston said. “So that’s two down. We are extremely excited about the opportunity to represent the lower state in the state title games.

“But we are not satisfied. We’ve got one more goal in mind, and that’s to win the whole thing.”

The teams combined for only three hits — the Flashes had two — but pitching woes helped do in East Clarendon.

Sloane Welsh walked three Johnsonville batters in the first and hit one, and the Wolverines also committed an error, leading to all of the Flashes’ scoring.

Gaster, who hit a pair of batters herself but struck out six, had one of the Flashes’ hits, a double, and also scored a run.

EC 000 000 0 — 0 1 2
J 300 000 x — 3 2 1

WP — Rachel Gaster (7 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 6 K, 2 HBP).
LP — Sloane Welsh ( 6 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 6 K, 1 HBP, 3 BB)
LEADING HITTERS — J: Rachel Gaster 1-2, 2B, HBP, R; Deanna Davis 1-3.
RECORDS —  J: 22-7
NEXT GAME — Johnsonville hosts Buford on Monday in the first game of the Class A state championship series.

Waccamaw 2, Cheraw 1

PAWLEYS ISLAND — The Warriors scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and starter Ashley Czechner made them stand as Waccamaw edged Cheraw for the Class 2A lower state title.

Deanna Ratliff was 2-for-3 with a double and drove in the lone run for the Braves. Terry Ritz was also 2-for-3.

C 000 000 1 — 1 5 1
W 200 000 x — 2 3 1

WP — Ashley Czechner (28-1)
LP — Nancy Ann Crowley
LEADING HITTERS — C: Deanna Ratliff 2-3, RBI, 2B, BB; Terry Ritz 2-3; W: Nikki Legg 2-3, 2 SB, R;  Shelly Strickland 1-2.