Moving up in classification and into one of the Palmetto State’s toughest baseball regions was a daunting challenge for Chapin High School.

So far, however, the Eagles have shown the same prowess and play in Class 5A as they did last year in winning the Class 4A title.

Entering Tuesday’s season-opener at River Bluff, Chapin has sole ownership of 1st place in Region 5-5A. A 5-1 mark through 2, 3-game series against Dutch Fork and White Knoll, the later via sweep, has the Eagles flying high.

“We’re happy about that,” Chapin head coach Scott McLeod said. “We knew it was going to be really, really tough, but we’ve got some good arms coming back and the nucleus of last year’s team. We’re playing some really young kids right now, too, which is a good thing, but we’ve kind of gotten a lot more out of them than we expected to.”

University of South Carolina commit Cade Austin leads the 3-man rotation which has thrown 12 straight shutout innings. Dante Chirico, 1st baseman Matthew Becker and senior closer Drew Highfill have filled in for number 2 starter William Privette as he recuperates from a sore elbow and sophomore Chris Veach rounds out the rotation.

“That’s one area we’ve been blessed in and that’s arms,” McLeod said. “We’re just hurting in a few other places.”

Offensively, Austin, Veach, Becker, centerfielder Tyler Teal and catcher Drew Calhoun have carried the team.

It’s the one area of concern for McLeod as they head into the remaining 9 games.

“We’ve got to pitch and we’ve got to play defense because offensively, we’re not an offensive juggernaut,” McCleod said. “Last year, 1 through 9 we could hit. This year, our batting averages aren’t very good. But our ERA and our defense has been pretty good.

“So, that’s how we’ve been doing it - pitching and play defense and that’s what we’re going to have to keep doing. Hopefully, the bats will come around. They’ve been pretty sluggish, but pitching and defense has been pretty good.”

A team with aspirations of catching the Eagles is Lexington. The defending Region 5-5A champions hold 2nd place in the region behind Chapin and entered Wednesday’s contest at Dutch Fork winners of 4 straight games.

One of those victories was a 11-7 triumph over Class 4A top-ranked A.C. Flora at Segra Field. Down 7-0 through 2 innings, the Wildcats responded with 11 unanswered runs to cap a week in which it also defeated Class 3A 3rd ranked Camden and SCISAA defending Class 3A champion Cardinal Newman.

Seth Altenberg drove in 3 runs and Tristan Allen and Landon Mc-Mahan both had 2 RBI to lead the Wildcats in the comeback victory. Cal Herndon entered in relief and struck out 5 and allowed 2 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“We showed some toughness to get down 7 runs against probably one of the best teams in South Carolina and they just kept plugging, kept battling and overcame a lot of things,” Lexington head coach Brian Hucks said. “So, I’m really proud of those guys.”