Sports Roundup
PHILIP SIMMONS BASEBALL
The Philip Simmons High School baseball team’s bid to repeat as Region 6-AA champions came up short as Andrews High School handed the Iron Horses a pair of heartbreaking losses last week to win the region title with an 8-0 record.
Still, the Iron Horses began this week with a chance to make history in the final week of the regular season with road games at Academic Magnet, Hanahan, and Waccamaw. If the Iron Horses manage to sweep the three games, they will win 20 regular-season games for the first time in the program’s history. The Iron Horses were 17-5 to begin the week.
The Iron Horses traveled to Andrews April 21 and took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. But the Yellow Jackets rallied with a run in the sixth and plated two more scores in the bottom of the seventh to post a 3-2 victory. The Iron Horses collected seven hits to Andrews’ five.
Three days later, it was more of the same, although the venue changed to The Phil. The score was tied at 4-4 at the end of seven innings. The Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the top of the ninth and held on in the bottom of the inning for a 6-5 victory. The Iron Horses outhit the Yellow Jackets 10-6, but committed two errors and allowed an unearned run.
BISHOP ENGLAND BASEBALL
Meanwhile, Bishop England’s bid to gain a share of the Region 7-AAAA championship came to an end on April 27 when league foe Bluffton posted a 5-2 home victory over the Bishops, who fell to 14-7 overall.
May River, which has completed league play, claimed the top rung in the region with a 12-3 league record. The Bishops still have two region games against Bluffton and were 9-4 in league play after the April 27 loss. Hilton Head was 10-5 in Region 7-AAAA play. Bluffton was 8-5 in the region after the win over the Bishops.
LACROSSE
The Class AAAA lacrosse state playoffs commenced April 27 with the Philip Simmons boys traveling to Fox Creek High School.
The Iron Horses, who entered the match with a 1-12 record, knocked off Fox Creek 13-5, for the first playoff victory in the program’s history. The Iron Horses were credited with a victory last spring after Waccamaw forfeited a first-round match.
The Iron Horses advance to play at Oceanside Collegiate Academy in the second round of the playoffs on May 1.
Meanwhile, the Bishop boys earned the No. 1 seed in the Lower State and received a first-round bye. The Bishops, 9-6, will host Hilton Head, a 23-1 winner over Gilbert. The match is set for May 1.
The girls' teams for Bishop England and Philip Simmons were scheduled to play first-round matches on April 28. The Bishop girls, 9-6, hosted Bluffton, which entered with a 1-11 record. The Iron Horse girls, 6-9, played Academic Magnet.
BOYS TENNIS
Bishop England and Philip Simmons both qualified for the Class AAAA and AAA tennis playoffs, respectively, and had first-round matches scheduled for April 28.
Bishop England, the No. 1 seed in the Lower State, was scheduled to host Airport High School, while the Iron Horses, the No. 4 Lower State seed in Class AAA, hosted Battery Creek.
The Lower and Upper State championships are set for May 6 with the state championships set for May 9.