Aiken County Post 26/153 junior baseball team to play for state championship

No late-game fireworks were necessary this time for the Aiken County Post 26/153 junior American Legion baseball team.

Aiken County has shown a flair for the dramatic, both in exciting and frustrating ways, during the second half of the regular season and the beginning of the Junior AA playoffs.

Standing in their way Tuesday night was a trip to face top-seeded Richland Post 215 Navy, and the teams had recently split their regular-season series in a pair of nailbiters.

Aiken County had no interest in that this time around, clinching a spot in Thursday's state championship game with an 18-5 win over Richland Navy that moves Aiken County to 2-0 in the postseason.

Aiken County Post 26/153 baseball juniors beat North Augusta Post 71 in playoff opener

Who they will play in that championship game was still up in the air as of Wednesday night, but coach Zach Holley confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the game will be played at 6 p.m. Thursday at Midland Valley regardless of the opponent.

The first elimination game between North Augusta Post 71 and Richland Post 215 White at Riverview Park was forced into a weather delay in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Richland White leading 11-8. That game was set to be resumed Wednesday evening at Ben Lippen School in Columbia, with the winner then going right back out onto the field to play Richland Navy in the final elimination game to determine Aiken County's opponent.

Initially it appeared as if the opponent would then determine the location. The bracket was set up to where the higher-seeded team would host, which would have meant third-seeded Aiken County would have needed fourth-seeded Richland White to finish off second-seeded North Augusta and then beat Richland Navy in order to host.

Instead, Aiken County's 2-0 start won out. Holley said in a text message Tuesday night that he had pleaded his case for Aiken County to host the championship game as the only undefeated team in postseason play, and by Wednesday afternoon that logic won out.

Whichever team it is will have to beat Aiken County twice - while Aiken County will only need to win once.

Aiken County Post 26/153 juniors pick up key win, split series

Brayden Johnson had three of Aiken County's 10 hits in Tuesday's blowout, and Kingston Sweetnam had two. Tyler Tindall drove in four runs, and Johnson and Jake Bryan had two RBI apiece. Jeremiah Yarborough drew two walks, and Caleb Arthur, Dale Pearson and Sweetnam each stole two bases, while Sweetnam and EJ Herrera both scored four times.

Aiken County scored five times in the top of the first inning in support of starting pitcher Macon Williams, who allowed five runs (one earned) in 2⅓ innings. Another run in the top of the second and six more in the third had Aiken County leading 12-3 when Williams left the game, and Xzavion Hughes nailed it down from there. Hughes pitched the final 2⅔ innings without allowing a run, giving up just one hit to stifle a Richland Navy offense that led the league in batting average and runs scored.

Now Aiken County will have several pitchers available for the championship game. Blake Freeland (2.78 ERA), Arthur (0.84) and Hughes (2.10) are all listed as eligible pitchers under the league's pitch-count rules, in addition to some others who haven't pitched this week.

Aiken County and North Augusta are both looking for their second Junior AA state championship. Aiken Post 26 won the inaugural Junior AA title in 2021, with North Augusta Post 71 winning it in 2022. Post 26 also has a pair of Senior Legion titles (1973, '96).

Post 26 snags league title in inaugural 15u season

In the Junior AAA playoffs, North Augusta Post 71 took game one of its best-of-three first-round series against Mid-Carolina and was looking for the sweep Tuesday before the weather intervened. Game two was rescheduled for Wednesday night at Riverview Park.

In the softball playoffs, the North Augusta Post 71 Blue Angels were eliminated from the Division 2 playoffs after a 16-6 loss at Abbeville Post 2. The Blue Angels finished the season with a record of 11-7. Aiken Post 26 forfeited its playoff game against Greenwood Post 20, ending Post 26's season with a record of 12-5.