INMAN, S.C. – On the heels of a matchup in the previous 24 hours, the Chesnee Eagles and Chapman Panthers baseball clubs closed out their respective regular seasons with the return match of a home-and-home series.
On this night, a big inning and strong showing on the mound were the difference as Chesnee claimed an 8-1 victory over Chapman. Each side plated a run in the first inning as Chesnee’s Kaden Orr singled to left and later scored on an error. Kole Brown led off the bottom of the frame for Chapman with a double to right field and tagged up on a Colt McPeters sacrifice fly, tying the game at one. The Eagles took the lead in the third as Daniel Wease’s two-run double to center plated Orr and Tucker Johnson, while a Zaiden Hammett single to left scored Aiden Greene. Wease scored from third on a Dawson Pruitt sacrifice bunt and Jaden Hill (courtesy runner for Hammett) sprinted home on a Kyle Martin base hit, creating a 6-1 lead. “Our guys were patient at the plate,” said Chesnee head coach Scott Wease. “And then, we got some fastballs in the zone. We attacked them, put the ball in play, and had a great at bat. We barreled up some balls (Tuesday) but didn’t have a lot of them fall. Tonight, we had some of those fall, got some base runners, and good things happen when you can do that.” Tucker Johnson – who recently committed to play collegiately Spartanburg Methodist College – smacked a two-run shot to right in the fourth, extending the Chesnee lead to seven. Chesnee hurler Brycen Sprinkle announced his presence with authority on the mound. The right-hander was highly effective with his pitch location and got some support from his defense. Orr flashed the leather in the second with a diving, over-the-shoulder grab in left field to erase an extra-base hit. Sprinkle then picked up a groundout before rattling off three straight strikeouts spanning the second and third frames. He also snagged a hot shot hit back to the mound in the fifth, which evolved into a 1-4-3 double play. Sprinkle tossed six strong innings for the Eagles, limiting the Panthers to an earned run, while scattering five hits to go with one walk and five strikeouts. “My fastball and changeup low and away,” Sprinkle stated when asked about what worked well during his outing. “The umpire was calling it out, so that was where I was going to throw it. That third inning was big (because) I had the trust in my team to get some runs so I could just keep focused on pitching.” Chapman pushed across a run in the seventh as Chandler Cartee singled to left and rounded the bases on a Brown opposite-field base knock to right, providing the final margin. Wease led the Eagles at the plate with a 2-for-4 night, scoring once and driving in two runs. Johnson was 1-for-3 with two runs batted in, while Hammett, Martin, and Pruitt each drove in a run. Orr also went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. As a team, Chesnee drew six free passes. “Brycen has thrown really well for us all year,” Wease added. “He has faced tough opponents throughout the season. I am really proud of him. He was throwing three pitches for strikes and only walked one batter, so he gave us a chance (to win).” Cole Daugherty paced the Panthers with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish, while Brown (2-for-4, run, RBI) and Cartee (2-for-3, run) also recorded multiple hits. Tolleson also notched a base knock and a three up, three down inning on the mound. Both Chesnee and Chapman (12-11) will begin the district round of the 2A and 3A playoffs, respectively, with a home game on Tuesday, April 30th. Further details about the opponents and start times were not available when this story was published. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles honored a trio of seniors and picked up a 15-4 win over the Woodruff Wolverines in front of a cheering home crowd on Wednesday night.
"It feels really good to pull out this big win on senior night," said senior Natalie Morris. "Everyone contributed, and played a role in our success and that is big for us as we prepare for the playoffs." "Everyone wants to win on their senior night but doing it with this team was something special," said senior Skylar Barrett. "I have been a part of five different senior nights during my time with this team. To finally have my own and see how much my teammates love and care for us has been amazing." Before the game, Chesnee honored seniors Natalie Morris, Harley Grady, and Skylar Barrett as each went on to have an impact in the game itself. Woodruff came out fast in the top of the first inning as Alexis Mock hit a leadoff triple, and she later scored on Kaitlynn Jackson's RBI single. Claire Owens and Harley Grady each reached on bunts, Owens with a slap bunt and Grady with the traditional bunt to give the Eagles two on to start the bottom of the first inning. Delani Wright and Natalie Morris each drew a two out walk to drive in the Eagle's first run. The Eagles then got back-to-back doubles by Jada Sellars and Abby Fogle with Sellars picking up three RBIs and Fogle picking up one of her own to give the Eagle's a 5-1 lead after one inning of play. Bella Rollins gave the Eagle's a shutdown inning in the top of the second inning to set up a big bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the second inning the Eagles sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs to make the score 14-1 after two innings of play. The highlight of the inning came just two batters in as senior Harley Grady ripped her first career home run over the left field wall to drive in a pair of runs. "It felt good," said senior Harley Grady. "It felt amazing to celebrate this with my teammates on senior night. This is a memory I'll never forget." Natalie Morris collected her second RBI of the game on her second bases loaded walk drawn in the game. The Eagles saw Jada Sellars, Abby Fogle, Claire Owens, Harley Grady, and Skylar Barrett each hit RBI singles with Owens picking up a second RBI on her hit. The Wolverines tried to claw back into the game as Kaitlynn Jackson hit a three run home run to cut the Eagles lead to 14-4 in the top of the third inning. The Eagles pushed the lead back to 11 in the bottom of the third inning as Jada Sellars drew a one out walk and later stole a pair of bases before scoring on Faith Wall's RBI double. During her time with Chesnee softball Skylar Barrett has played just about every position on the field, and she can now add shutdown reliever to her list of accomplishments as she threw two shutout frames to finish off the game for the Eagles. "I was very excited to get in the circle on senior night and keep them off the scoreboard," said Barrett. "After we got out to the big lead we really wanted to hold the lead to 10 runs or more." Barrett is also the first Eagle to finish her softball career with four region titles as the Eagles recently capped off their fourth consecutive region title on Tuesday night. Harley Grady and Skylar Barrett led the Eagles with three hits including Grady's two run homer. Jada Sellars led the Eagles with four RBIs while Harley Grady picked up three RBIs. Kaitlynn Jackson had a big night for the Wolverines as she picked up two hits and four RBIs including a three run home run while Alexis Mock also added a double and a triple for the Wolverines. The trio of Chesnee seniors are proud of the legacy and status of the program that they leave behind. "I'm going to miss my teammates," said Grady. "But I'm proud of the fact that this senior class could continue to build on to the foundation of success that was built before us." The Eagles felt like this was a good tune up for the AA playoffs that starts next week. "This win sets us up for success as any time you beat a good team like that it gives you momentum and confidence going forward." Morris said. The Eagles will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to Landrum to take on the Cardinals in the final game of the regular season as first pitch is set for 7:30 PM. LIBERTY, SC - The Chesnee Eagles went on the road to Liberty for a big region game on Tuesday night and when they came back with a 10-0 win, they also brought home their fourth straight region championship.
"Lots of great players and great community support have helped this happen," said Chesnee head coach Tripp Fogle about what it has taken to win four straight region titles. "The culture of working has been embraced." The Eagles got a second consecutive region shutout by pitcher Bella Rollins as she scattered three hits while striking out three over six innings. The Eagles had eight different batters record a hit with Delani Wright leading the way with three hits of her own. Claire Owens, Skylar Barrett, and Jada Sellars each collected two hits each, with Barrett collecting a double among her two hits. Ansley Blanton, Natalie Morris, Liana Kreydich, and Carlee Turner all came away with a hit for the Eagles against the Red Devils. Owens led the way with three runs scored followed by Delani Wright and Jada Sellars who each scored twice. Natalie Morris picked up two RBIs for the Eagles as Loren Potter and Abby Fogle were among seven different Eagles who each picked up an RBI. The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday as they host the Woodruff Wolverines with a 6:00 PM first pitch. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles softball team picked up a 1-0 win over the rival Landrum Cardinals on Friday night that had massive region implications.
"This is a huge win for us as these hard-fought wins help bring us closer together as a team," said Chesnee's Bella Rollins. " It just makes our bond stronger." "I'm proud of the way they played tonight as this was a tough-minded game," said Chesnee head coach Tripp Fogle. "Neither team deserved to lose tonight. Both teams fought their guts out, and we are glad we came out on the winning end." The win helped the Eagles edge one step closer to a fourth consecutive region title as they now hold three series wins over the other teams in region play. The Eagles now need to win one game or have Landrum suffer a region loss to lock up the region title. The game was a true pitcher's duel as Chesnee eighth grader Bella Rollins picked up the win and limited the Cardinals to just three hits while only allowing one Cardinal to reach second base all night. She also struck out seven Cardinal batters. "To see a young pitcher step up like that was impressive," said Fogle. "We have been emphasizing to both of our pitchers to locate their pitches. Nobody on our side was surprised by her performance." Rollins is one half of what is possibly the youngest battery in the state as she worked in harmony with eighth grade catcher Ansley Blanton. She also got several stellar defensive plays behind her, highlighted by Blanton's throwing out of a runner attempting to steal second base to end the game, along with Delani Wright's diving grab at second base on a line drive that turned into a double play in the fourth inning, as she was able to throw behind the runner at first. "It means a lot to have them behind me," said Rollins. "I know they will have my back and be there to pick me up when I need them." The Cardinals lone threat came in the top of the first inning as Sydney Price drew a one out walk and later stole second base, but Rollins got a strikeout and an infield popup to end the threat. The Eagles put runners on in each of the first two innings as Harley Grady drew a walk in the first inning, and Natalie Morris hit a single in the second inning, but the Eagles were unable to advance either runner. In the bottom of the third inning, the Eagles called upon their young sister act duo of Loren Potter and Claire Owens, as ninth grader Loren Potter drew a leadoff walk and after a steal along with an Abby Fogle sacrifice, she was on third with one out. "It was great feeling knowing that I was able to come up big for our team when we needed a spark," said Loren Potter. Potter's sister, eighth grader Claire Owens stepped into the box next and drove a single through the infield to drive in what proved to be the winning run. "It's funny how situations work out as I'm at the bottom of the lineup and she is the leadoff hitter," said Potter. "It's always fun when I see her come up to bat when I'm on base." Jada Sellars hit a two out single in the fourth inning and later stole second but was left stranded. The Eagles had what looked to be a golden opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning as they had runners on second and third bases with two outs after Skylar Barrett and Delani Wright drew one out walks. Chesnee came inches away from taking a 3-0 lead as Jada Sellars hit a pop up near the right field line that was that was ruled just foul. Landrum also got a stellar pitching performance from Sydney Price, as she pitched a complete game while only surrendering the one run. She scattered three hits while striking out seven. The stellar performances for Chesnee started before the game even started as Liana Kreydich sang a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before taking the field with her teammates. "It feels really good to be of use to my team," said Kreydich. "Whether that is singing before the game, cheering in the dugout, or contributing on the field. It feels good knowing that I can help contribute to this team." The Eagles will be back in action on Monday as they host Boiling Springs at 6:00 PM. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles baseball team downed the Greenville Technical Charter Warriors 15-0 in three innings on Friday night to secure the Eagles their first region championship since 2018.
"It feels great to win region on senior night in front our home crowd," said senior Riley Dominguez. "Especially since it's the first time we have won region in a few years." Before the game the Eagles honored six seniors before the game in Dawson Pruitt, Kohen Orr, Tucker Johnson, Aiden Greene, Daniel Wease, and Riley Dominguez. The seniors made sure to leave their fingerprints all over the game as Wease picked up the win on the mound pitching a one hitter while getting all nine outs by strikeout for the Eagles. Wease also went one of one at the plate with an RBI double along with two hit by pitches while also scoring two runs. "The ability to clinch region on senior night is an awesome feeling," said senior Daniel Wease. "Especially knowing we will get to play some big games in front of our home crowd (in the playoffs)." Riley Dominguez was the first Eagle senior to make an impact at the plate as he drove in the game's first run by drawing a bases loaded walk in the first inning, the first of three walks for him in the game while he also scored twice. Dawson Pruitt had a big night at the plate with four RBIs including a deep RBI triple while also scoring a run for the Eagles. Kohen Orr also had a pair of deep doubles as he also picked up two RBIs and two runs scored while going two of two at the plate. Tucker Johnson also hit an RBI double for the Eagles while scoring a pair of runs. Aiden Greene hit an RBI sacrifice fly and drew a walk before stealing a pair of bases along with scoring a run for the Eagles. The Eagles also got strong nights from the three non-seniors in the lineup as Paul Martin picked up three RBIs including a deep RBI double and nearly hit a mammoth home run down the left field line that was foul by just a few feet. Carson Gossett got a single, and later stole a pair of bases before scoring a run for the Eagles. He also a drew a walk in the game. Kyle Martin drew three walks for the Eagles scoring two runs and on the lone plate appearance that he didn't score, he drove in a run. Every Eagle batter reached base in some capacity while each also scored a run. "We are feeling really confident right now as we are on a hot streak," said senior Aiden Greene. "That gives us confidence as we get ready for the playoffs." The Eagles will be back in action Monday at 6:30 PM as they host the Greer Yellow Jackets. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles boys' soccer team used an impressive performance to send out their seniors in style with a 6-0 victory over the Liberty Red Devils on Friday night.
The Eagles honored seniors Adrian Mata-Rangel, Kevin Reyes, and Diego Valdivia in a ceremony before the start of the game. "I'm very proud of my team tonight," said Chesnee head coach Joel Barrington. "Everyone played mentally and physically tough. The young players stepped up and the leaders on the team took charge. I'm particularly proud of my seniors, Adrian, Kevin, and Diego as they played selflessly, with pride in their team, school, and community. That is the legacy these seniors are leaving behind, and the future of the Chesnee soccer program will be better for it." Chesnee got stellar performances all around the field led by Mark Bishop's shutout in goal on the defensive end of the field. Leonardo De La Cruz led the way on the offensive side of the attack as he netted a hat trick (three goals) for the Eagles. Senior Adrian Mata-Rangel netted a goal on senior night while they also got goals from Gael Ortiz and Carlos Martinez. The Eagles will return to the pitch on Monday night as they travel to take on the same Liberty Red Devils with a 7:00 PM kickoff. BOILING SPRINGS, SC - A quick change after a church golf tournament on Saturday brought Chesnee golfer Peyton Lawter some good luck as he went out on Monday to the Woodfin Ridge golf course firing a score of 68 to win the Spartanburg County individual championship.
According to Lawter and Chesnee head coach Adam Jolley, they played on the same team at the church golf tournament where Lawter was struggling with his putting, After the struggles, Jolley suggest he switch his putter and he did just that and it paid off for him. "Coach Jolley told me at that church tournament on Saturday was my putter wouldn't set up for me," said Lawter. "So my dad gave me his old putter and it changed a bunch as I probably made the most one putts I've ever made in a round, I probably only had two or three two-putts all day today." Jolley said he was glad the change was able to give Lawter the confidence boost he needed to play such good golf on Monday. "It shows that one little change can just boost your confidence like that," said Jolley. "He executed and made the putts and I'm glad that change gave him the confidence to be able to do that." Jolley said that the whole putter conversation happened because the guys from the team signed up for the church tournament just to enjoy playing golf for a day before the county tournament. "It's all about consistency, we've shot some good scores and not some good scores," said Jolley. "It's just about being consistent day in and day out and putting the work in at practice. It was good for us all to play in that tournament this weekend together where we just had fun. It was good to show them that golf doesn't have to be so much pressure that they put on themselves." Lawter said he was a little emotional about his performance on Monday, because it was such a turnaround from last year when he shot in the 90's. "I was kind of in shock (when I looked at my scorecard)," said Lawter. "I cried a little bit when I saw the card because I think I shot a 95 in this tournament last year. It's great to come back to shoot the score I shot today." With his score of 68, Lawter was five shots better than the second-place golfers in Granger Amick from Spartanburg Day along with Hugh Lemonds and Emmet Walsh from Spartanburg shot a score of 73, as Amick claimed the runner-up title after winning a playoff hole. Those four were joined on the All-Tournament team by Clayton Taylor (74) and Lawson Miller (77) from Boiling Springs along with Will McGraw (75) from Chapman. Spartanburg won the team title with a score of 299, which was nine shots ahead of second play Boiling Springs who shot a score of 308. Spartanburg Day was third with a score of 316 while Chesnee finished fourth as a team after they shot a score of 317 and Chapman finished eighth after shooting a score of 341. TEAM FINAL STANDINGS 1. Spartanburg 299 2. Boiling Springs 308 3. Spartanburg Day 316 4. Chesnee 317 5. Byrnes 325 6. Gaffney 328 7. Clinton 332 8, Chapman 341 9. Broome 355 10. SCA 373 11. Laurens 376 12. Boiling Springs (2) 383 13. Woodruff 393 14. Landrum 419 Chesnee, SC- The Chesnee Eagles downed the Landrum Cardinals on the very last kick of the night to take a win in penalty kicks 2-2 (4-3) in a key region matchup on Friday night.
"It's a big win anytime you can pick up a region win," said Chesnee head coach Joel Barrington. "Especially when it's such a rivalry between Landrum and us." Chesnee took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break as Leonardo De La Cruz netted two first half goals. "That early cushion gave us momentum early," said Barrington. "We knew that Landrum would try to comeback, and we knew it would take a full game to pull out the win." Landrum responded with two goals off the foot of Hector Gomez. Neither team cracked the scoring in extra time sending the match into the craziness of penalty kicks. Landrum started penalty kicks with a pair of goals from Nick Blackwell and Hector Gomez stopping a Chesnee attempt to build an early 2-0 lead. Chesnee responded with two straight goals from Nathan Lewis and Carlos Martinez, and a pair of stops by Benji Lazarin to tie up the penalty kicks. Leonardo De La Cruz netted his kick to give Chesnee a 3-2 lead heading into the final kicks. Landrum's Joey Martinez tied up the penalty kicks at three apiece after his goal on the Cardinals final kick. For the final kick of the game, Chesnee goalkeeper Benji Lazarin stepped up to the spot and sank his kick to give the Eagles the win thanks to taking penalty kicks by a 4-3 score. The Eagles will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Greer Middle College with a 7:30 PM kickoff. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles downed the Liberty Red Devils 12-2 to pick up a key region win in six innings in front of the home crowd on Friday night.
"It feels really good to pick up another big region win," said Chesnee's Natalie Morris. "To win region games it takes a team effort, and I feel like tonight we all performed well." Chesnee got off to a good start as pitcher Bella Rollins downed the first seven batters she faced, and only allowed one runner to reach in her three innings of work while striking out five batters. "I feel like this is my best performance so far in my career," said Chesnee pitcher Bella Rollins. "It feels great to have a strong performance in region play." Claire Owens led off the bottom of the first inning for the Eagles with a single and later scored on Skylar Barrett's two run home run that banged off the centerfield scoreboard to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead. Chesnee built on the lead in the bottom of the second inning, this time by manufacturing three runs. Faith Wall drew a walk to lead off the inning, and Abby Fogle and Claire Owens singled to load the bases. Jade Sellars drove in a run after she grounded into a fielder's choice, Skylar Barrett picked up an RBI on a sacrifice ground ball, and Ansley Blanton capped the scoring with an RBI single to make it 5-0 in favor of the Eagles. The Eagles tacked on another run in the third inning as Loren Potter hit a one out single, and later scored on Abby Fogle's RBI single. The Red Devils tried to claw back into the game in the top of the fourth inning as Holli Gaffin, Scarlett Pittman, and Katy Hayes each hit consecutive singles with Hayes picking up an RBI. Hayes single was the last hit of the contest for Liberty, but a pair of walks later in the inning gave Brooke Lollis a RBI due to walking in a run to make it 6-2 in favor of the Eagles. The Eagles expanded the lead back to six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Jada Sellars hit a leadoff double and later scored on an RBI single by Ansley Blanton. Natalie Morris drove in Blanton with an RBI double to make it 8-2 in favor of the Eagles. Chesnee put the game away in the sixth inning as six consecutive batters reached base as the Eagle's extended the lead to 10 runs. Skylar Barrett hit her second homer of the game to lead off the sixth inning, this time she hit a solo shot over the centerfield scoreboard. Ansley Blanton followed with a walk while Delani Wright and Natalie Morris followed with singles. Blanton and Wright later scored on wild pitches and a walk by Loren Potter set up Harley Grady to end the game, as she hit a walk off RBI single to give the Eagles the 12-2 win. The Eagles got a big night at the plate led from Skylar Barrett who went two of two at the plate with a pair of homers while also picking up four RBIs. "They both felt good off the bat," said Barrett. "It feels great to see it go over the fence and then see my teammates ready to celebrate at home plate." Claire Owens and Ansley Blanton each collected three hits each with Blanton picking up a pair of RBIs. Abby Fogle, Delani Wright, and Natalie Morris each picked up two hits for the Eagles. "This performance shows we are all committed to performing our best," said Barrett. "It just shows our entire team is committed to practicing and preparing the way we should." The Eagles will be back in action on Monday as they host the Chapman Panthers as first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 PM. CHESNEE, SC - After the retirement of former head football coach Clay Lewis, it seems that the Chesnee football program has found their new guy in former Pisgah High School (NC) head coach Brett Chappell.
“We are excited about this great opportunity," Chappell said. "There are so many things that we were looking for as a family, and Chesnee has them all. The school and community are a good fit for us." Chappell, a former standout at Rosman High school where he rushed for 5,296 yards in his career before playing linebacker at Western Carolina, comes to the Eagles after 11 seasons at NC 3A Pisgah High School where he compiled a 94-39 overall record while winning two outright region championships (2018 and 2021) along with three shared region championships (2016, 2019, and 2020). During the time that he was at the school, Pisgah never missed a trip to the playoffs. Prior to his time at Pisgah High School, he was the head football coach at East Henderson High School where he compiled a 67-35 record including an 11-2 season in 2012. He said that there were lots of positives that drew him to Chesnee and he looks forward to getting started. "Chesnee High School has class leading facilities, great community support, and dedicated leadership," said Chappell. "I've known Coach Lewis for a long time and he is a man of great character. I know that he has laid a solid foundation here,” “It is our goal to put a great product on the field that the Chesnee community can be proud of." |
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