Baseball playoff game set for this afternoon

May is upon us! In the old days, for Pee Dee Academy, that would mean just playing out the string. But, in recent years Wes Daniels and Hugh Collins have turned things around and have the dust flying later into the softball and baseball seasons.

Last week, the softball team wasted no time, jumping into action on the afternoon of April 21 and handing North Myrtle Beach Christian a humbling 15-1 defeat. Summer Collins led the charge at the plate with a pair of singles and a pair of doubles and five RBI. Rachel Hester and Caroline Shelley tallied three hits each and a nine-run Pee Dee sixth did in the home team.

Collins took the victory pitching, allowing only three hits, one earned run and one base on balls.

The next day, the Lady Golden Eagles steamrolled Byrnes in a 17-1 rout. The beat-down got underway early with a dozen runs in the opening frame. At one point, nine consecutive batters reached bases for Pee Dee. Alex Powers totalled three singles and Lee Pittman added a double and a triple in the conference victory over the Trojans.

Christen Bucy allowed two hits and one run with zero walks in earning the win.

A pivotal game was played April 25, one not only for the AA standings, but for the confidence of the Lady Golden Eagles heading into the playoffs. The opponent was rival and defending state champion, Carolina Academy.

In the early going, Pee Dee seemed completely undaunted and unfazed by the obstacle the Bobcats presented. Collins took over on the bump and preceded to completely dismantle the Carolina bats.

A 1-2-3 top of the first set the table for an early Golden Eagle lead. Kelsey Rogers led off the bottom half of the first with a bloop single, followed by a bunt single by Rachel Hester. Both runners advanced on a sac bunt by Alex Powers.

It seemed Carolina would come out of it unscathed as they got the next batter without a run scoring. But, when the Bobcat hurler uncorked a wild pitch, Rogers dashed home. When the throw to the plate hit Rogers helmet and deflected away, Hester came in as well. The 2-0 lead held until the top of the fourth.

Until this inning, Collins had not allowed a single base runner to reach. But, two hard singles and a fielder's choice grounder put both runners in scoring position. One would score on a weak grounder, but Collins would get out of it with no further damage and with a 2-1 lead.

The teams rolled into the fifth and it was here that the Golden Eagles put it away. Kelsey Dozier led off with a single and Alex Pittman followed in kind. Kelsey Rorgers sent a rip down the first base line to score one run. Then, Alex Powers slammed a change-up back at the Carolina starter and scored another.

With the Bobcats coming unraveled, they finished their own undoing with two wild pitches that allowed the final pair of runs to score in a 6-1 Pee Dee win.

Collins got the win, allowing only the three singles in the fourth and no other Bobcats reached base. Bucy finished off the final three innings, also allowing no one to reach base as the two pitchers combined in the dominating performance.

Pee Dee traveled to Robert E Lee Monday in their final tune-up before State Playoffs begin in Columbia on Friday with opponent and game time to be determined.

Hugh Collins’ baseball team finished up their regular season last week in their final warm-up for the postseason as well. A week that showed promised turned frustrating for the blue and gold, but ended with some good news as well.

Their rematch with the Trojans of Byrnes offered the Golden Eagles a chance to capture their first region crown in 18 years. Behind stellar pitching from Kevin Thomas and some great defense, this classic duel remained deadlocked at zeroes into the seventh.

But, the wheels fell off the Pee Dee bus and Byrnes scored five times in the top of the inning to walk away with a 5-0 win and the region crown.

On Thursday, however, the team took it out on the Trinity Collegiate Titans. Charlie Fincannon earned the win in a 6-1 win over Trinity.

The week ended, however, with a trip to Lake City that produced a loss to one of the state’s top teams. The Carolina Bobcats continued their outstanding tradition and shut out the Golden Eagles, 10-0 to finish out the regular year of play.

Pee Dee did get some good news at the end of it all, though. This week started the SCISA AA playoffs and for the first time in memory, the Golden Eagles hosted a playoff game.

Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m., the Golden Eagles face Dorchester at Mullins High School.