Hartsville disposes of Hilton Head
By Don Gearhart
The thunder, lightning, and downpour that wreaked upon Jimmy White Park was but a delayed outcome of a 90-minute delay to start the Lower State District 5 baseball playoff game between the visiting Hilton Head Seahawks and the No. 1 seeded Hartsville Red Foxes. With ace pitcher, Cam Canarella, taking the mound the Seahawks tried to make an early statement when Ethan Russo hit a gap shot double with two outs and Connor Gardner worked a base-on-balls with two outs. Then Canarella showed a little of the “lightning” when he struck out the next batter to subdue any further damage. In the Red Foxes first inning, Treion McFarland led off with a walk. Then, Canarella showed a little “thunder” when he blasted a triple to the wall in right center to plate McFarland. Canarella also scored when the relay throw to third bounced over the third baseman’s head into the Seahawks dugout. Jackson Moore followed with a base hit but was stranded when the next three batters were put down in order.
Hilton Head scored a run in the third to reduce Hartsville’s lead to 2-1. The bottom of the fourth inning set the stage for the “downpour” that followed. Alvee Fulwood led off the inning with a walk and after one out, Daniel Parker collected a base hit and Roddi Morris walked to load the bases for McFarland. His grounder in the hole resulted in an RBI infield single to plate Fulwood. Parker scored from third when Alexander uncorked a wild pitch. With first base now open, Hilton Head elected to intentionally walk Canarella to load the bases. McFarland then scored on another wild pitch before Moore claimed his third hit of the night to drive in two more runs. On the play, the ball rolled under the right fielder’s glove allowing Moore to get all the way to third base. He scored the sixth run of the inning on yet another wild pitch. Hartsville now led 8-1 heading into the fifth inning.
The Red Foxes didn’t waste any time in their half of the fifth inning. Fulwood led off and got hit by a pitch. Garrett Parker then singled moving Fulwood to third. Daniel Parker’s sacrifice fly enabled Fulwood to score and when the ball was dropped in center field, Hartsville had runners on second and third. McFarland walked to load the bases and Canarella hit a high fly down the left field line that fell in for an RBI base hit allowing Garrett Parker to score. With bases loaded, Moore was retired for the first time on the night bringing Jones to the plate. The result was a very painful RBI when Jones was plunked by a pitch enabling Daniel Parker to score the third run of the inning and ending the game with an 11-1 ten-run rule victory for the home team.