They fought until the last out Sunday night, but the Lowcountry Heat came up short, falling 7-6 to Orangeburg Post 4 and losing their first-round American Legion baseball playoff series, 3-2.

"The kids battled and battled and battled," Post 185 coach Chris Seelbach said. "But it seemed like any break that could have gone the other way went the other way. Sometimes it's not in the cards for you.

"We didn't help ourselves with the errors."

Reminiscent of Friday's home loss that saw the Heat commit seven errors, Post 185 made four errors Sunday, making them play catch-up on a night they actually outhit their opponent 13-8.

Two errors in the first put Orangeburg on the board first, 1-0. Later, two more errors in the fourth contributed to a four-run inning for Post 4.

Post 185 once again had trouble stringing hits together. The Heat left runners on base in every inning but one, 13 in all. A prime example was the fourth when a lead-off single by Andrew Dill and a walk to Grant Youmans put runners at first and second with nobody out.

But three consecutive balls in the air to shallow right field ended any chance of a productive inning.

"It being summer baseball, I haven't bunted the ball a whole lot this year," Seelbach said. "I don't think you get better that way. I'd rather them get up there with an opportunity for them to swing the bats.

"But it's tough when you've got guys on first and third and you don't get anything out of it."

The Heat finally got something going in the sixth, loading the bases with three singles before Taylor Place stroked a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7-4.

Again in the seventh, the Heat put the first two runners on base. And again, it looked like they would leave them there when JD Reichel grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

But Ryan Ward followed with an RBI triple to the wall in right field and scored when the throw got away from the third baseman and then the catcher couldn't handle the throw home.

"He's really been locked in," Seelbach said of leadoff man Ward. "He'd been hitting the ball hard all night but right at everybody."

Two innings later, Ward came up again with two outs in the ninth and a chance to be the hero with the potential tying run on.

But Ward struck out, and Orangeburg moved on to play Sumter on Tuesday.

Orangeburg 100 402 000 -- 7 8 1

Lowcountry 100 012 200 -- 6 13 4

WP: Jamie Collins, 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 K, 3 BB

LP: Lincoln Fuller, 3 2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB

Top hitters: Orangeburg -- Evin Graves 1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBIs, R; James Shepherd 2 for 4, R; Cameron Huddleston 1 for 4, RBI, R. Lowcountry -- Kevin Hickey 2 for 4, SB, 2 R; Taylor Place 1 for 5, 2B, 2 RBIs; Logan Phillips 2 for 4, RBI, BB; Jake Martin 2 for 4, RBI, SB, BB; Brendan Johnson 2 for 4, R; JD Reichel 2 for 5, R; Ryan Ward 1 for 6, 3B, RBI.

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