HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

The first-ever “Father-Son Game” took place at Lexington County Baseball Stadium on April 8.

Head coaches Charlie Assey Sr. of Gray Collegiate and his son Charles Jr. of defending SCISA Class 3A champion Cardinal Newman led their respective powerhouse programs into the highly anticipated matchup.

Cardinal Newman entered as the top team in SCISA 3A, while the War Eagles of Gray Collegiate ranked 8th in Class 2A of the latest South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association poll.

A pitcher’s duel was the story of the afternoon as Jack Wood of the War Eagles and Jake Rehling of the Cardinals brought their best stuff.

The Cardinals were spurred on by 2 RBIs from Owen Pickel and Bradley Turner.

Gray Collegiate Academy trailed 4-0 heading into the final inning. After managing just 1 hit and striking out 6 times to Rehling, the War Eagles belted back-to-back singles off reliever Charlie Patten. Down to their final strike 3 times in the bottom of the 7th, Gray Collegiate scored 4 runs in the inning to tie the game and force extra innings.

Like the Cardinals, the scores came off 2-run singles by Dalton Hale off Patten and Guy Epps off Jonathan Hafner.

Parker Hocutt’s RBI sacrifice bunt off reliever Wyatt Keisler scored the game-winning run for the Cardinals as there wasn’t a play to make at the plate.

Cardinal Newman moved to 16-2 overall, while Gray Collegiate Academy fell to 12-5 overall on the regular season.