Prep Roundup, March 10: Bluffton softball team wins Florida tournament

High School Sports

Prep Roundup, March 10: Bluffton softball team wins Florida tournament

From staff reports - sports@islandpacket.com

SOFTBALL

Bluffton High School: The Bluffton High School softball team captured the championship of the annual Raider Invitational in the Gainesville, Fla., area, knocking off host Santa Fe High School 12-3 in Saturday's final.

The Bobcats (6-0) went undefeated in four games at the two-day tournament.

Lilli Otten's two-run single in the fourth inning put Bluffton ahead for good in the championship matchup, and Courtney Smith shut down Santa Fe the rest of the way. Smith finished with 14 strikeouts in going the distance.

"She just pitched a phenomenal game. Flat-out phenomenal game," said coach Bill Ball, who registered his 99th win with the Bobcats.

Kim Kerby was 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in the final, and Whitney Morrell was 3 for 5.

The Bobcats opened the tournament with an 11-3 win over Williston (Fla.). Smith struck out 10 in five innings, and Otten struck out four in two innings. Morrell was 2 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs, and Amanda Dart went 3 for 3. Amber Klitsch and Kerby both were 2 for 4.

In their second game, Bluffton beat Bucholz (Fla.), 2-0. Smith struck out 11 in a complete game, while Morrell was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run, and Mikyla Houghlan was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

The Bobcats then routed Bell (Fla.), 15-5. Kerby and Klitsch both were 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Morganne Parker went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Morrell added a home run. Otten struck out four in five innings.

The Bobcats won't be back in action until March 20, when they host Ashley Ridge.

JV: Beaufort High 12, Goose Creek 1

JV: Beaufort High 5, West Ashley 4

JV: Ashley Ridge 2, Beaufort High 1 (Note: Anna Grace Waters made Wando all-tournament team)

BASEBALL

Wilson Hall 11-7, Hilton Head Prep 1-4: The Dolphins nearly salvaged the final game of a doubleheader with Wilson Hall, but ended up on the losing end of both games, 11-1 and 7-4.

The Dolphins (3-2) had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, but Randy Young's deep fly ball was caught just short of the fence to end the second game.

Marcus Hindal had a double, Tyler Fox went 1 for 3, and Greg Warren pitched four innings and gave up three runs in the second game.

Jake Martin had a double and a run, and Cole Gardocki pitched one scoreless inning in the first game for Hilton Head Prep, which hosts Thomas Heyward Academy at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

BOYS LACROSSE

Bishop England 9, Hilton Head High 8: The Seahawks slipped below .500 for the season with the one-goal loss on the road.

Thomas Farrell, Tucker Roberts and Nate Jones collected two goals apiece for Hilton Head Island High (2-3).

Sam Jones and Madison Gayle split time in the Seahawks' net.

Hilton Head Island High travels next weekend to the Greenville area for a pair of games against Upstate competition.

TRACK & FIELD

Diamond Hornets Invitational: Beaufort High School's Kaila Smith was chosen the outstanding female sprinter at Lower Richland's annual meet, after she notched a pair of wins in the hurdles, a second place in the 200 and was part of the Eagles' second-place 4x400 relay.

She helped Beaufort High finish fourth in the team standings behind winner J.L. Mann. Battery Creek's girls were 20th.

Smith won the 100-meter high hurdles in a time of 14.94 seconds. She then broke the meet record in the 400 hurdles, clocking a time of 1:03.

Battery Creek's girls were led by Quamecha Morrison, who cleared 5 feet, 2 inches to win the high jump. Teammate Arionna Russell placed fourth.

Led by strong efforts in the field events, Battery Creek's boys finished in fourth place behind winner Richland Northeast. The Dolphins' Shakil Gause finished first in the shot put at 47-7, and second in the discus at 133-0. Teammate Caleb Harris placed fourth in the discus. Also, David Partridge placed second in the boys pole vault for the Dolphins.

Beaufort High's boys finished 10th, thanks to three top-three finishes. Michael Dickson was second in the 110 hurdles (15.5), and the Eagles took second in the 4x800 relay with Tarae Davis, Brandon Pratt, Jalen Jones and Brandon Bradford running a time of 8:45.23. The Eagles finished third in the 4x400. Darrian Chaplin, Davis, Tony Winston and Desmond Howard ran that relay.

Hilton Head Christian Academy's boys finished 16th. Reed Shindell won the discus by a wide margin, throwing 146 feet, 5 inches. Zach Polk was fourth in the long jump with a distance of 21-8. Jamario Williams took seventh in the 100 and 200.

Beaufort High Top Finishers

Girls

100 high hurdles -- 1. Kaila Smith 14.94

400 hurdles -- 1. Smith 1:03

200 -- 2. Smith 25.2

4x400 relay -- 2. Beaufort High 4:12 (Aaliyah Smalls, Monique Jones, Bre-Anna Heyward-White, Smith)

400 -- 3. Heyward-White 1:00.23

4x100 -- 4. Beaufort High 50.93 (Heyward-White, Tamaria Shields, Smalls, Jones)

4x800 -- 4. Beaufort High 10:56 (Madison Maddox, Heyward-White, Leah Glover, Kenethia Screen)

Boys

110 hurdles -- 2. Michael Dickson 15.5

4x100 relay -- 4. Beaufort High 43.49 (Darrian Chaplin, Dickson, Tony Winston, Desmond Howard)