BE baseball team tops Hanahan for regional championship victory!
The Bishop England High School baseball team had a fantastic finish in the regular-season finale, edging Hanahan 4-3 in eight innings last week to gain the Region 6-AAA championship.
Now, the Bishops are seeking similar results in the postseason as they go after their first state championship since 2011. The Bishops, who owned a 16-8 record during the regular season, including 8-1 in league play, were scheduled to host Loris Tuesday night at Father Kelly Field in Lower State play. The Lions posted an 8-14 record during the regular season.
Coach Mike Darnell’s squad is peaking at the right time, entering playoff action with six consecutive victories and seven in their last eight outings. It was a great finish for a team that was near the .500 mark for a good portion of the regular season thanks to a schedule that included many teams that competed at the Class AAAA level.
“We have been battling pretty well here toward the end of the season,” Darnell said. “We still make too many errors and throw too many balls, but we are finding ways to win.”
That was the case against Hanahan as the Bishops plated the winning run against the Hawks on an infield single and two bunts. The win also gave the Bishops home field advantage in the Lower State play.
“We have home field as long as we win,” Darnell said. “It is always nice when you know what to expect when it comes to pre-game and the mound and field. We have played tough teams on the road and made some longer road trips throughout the season to prepare us in case things don’t go as planned.”
The High School League’s postseason gets into high gear as baseball and softball commences this week.
Hanahan, which finished as runners-up to BE, was also scheduled to play at home Tuesday. The Hawks hosted Aynor.
BE LAX TEAMS ADVANCE IN PLAYOFFS
The boys and girls varsity lacrosse teams at Bishop England are inching closer to state championship titles. Both teams scored playoff victories in matches last week and were headed to the third round Tuesday evening (after the paper went to print). The boys’ team (12-3 overall) was slated to take on No. 1 seed Hilton Head, with the winner capturing the lower state title and advancing on to the state championship game on Saturday, April 29, in Chapin. The Lady Bishops, 12-2 overall and the 2016 state champs, also headed to the semi-finals on Tuesday in a match-up against No. 2 seed St. James (Murrels Inlet). If the BE girls are victorious, they advance to the state championships in Chapin this weekend.
SOCCER STARS
The South Carolina Soccer Coaches Association has named its all-star teams that will compete against some top competition this summer, and Bishop England will be represented in the Clash of the Carolinas, slated for July 7-8 in Raleigh.
The Bishops’ Sam Friedrich was selected to play in the boys’ game, which features the top seniors in South Carolina vs. their counterparts from North Carolina. Bishop England’s Ed Khouri will coach the team.
Bishop England’s Mackenzie McAvoy will play for the South Carolina girls’ team.
However, the Bishops were blanked as far as selections for the North-South Games, which will be played in late June in Rock Hill.
BE BASKETBALL
Bishop England’s Rhetta Moore and Brendan McHale were honored by the High School Sports Report as its Class AAA state basketball players of the year.
Christina Egede and Katie Cullum were named all-state by the HSSR while Katie Brooks was named to the all-rookie team.
Coach Paul Runey, who led the Bishops to their fourth straight state championship, was named the coach of the year.
Leo Albano was named all-state in basketball as well, while Jack Grooms was named to the Class AAA all-state wrestling team.