The baseball and softball season continued last week in Lexington County as the best teams are starting to separate themselves from their peers. 

With two weeks of games left in the regular season, many local teams will try to make a push for more wins to better their postseason odds. 

Entering this week, four Lexington County teams lead their region and a few more are also near the top, sitting second or third. 

Lexington and Gilbert’s baseball and softball teams are each first in their conference entering this week. Lexington’s softball team is the only one of the group to clinch the region title. The three other teams still have stiff competition hunting close behind. 

The Wildcats’ baseball team entered this week tied with River Bluff and Dutch Fork. The teams each have one region series left, and the results will determine the final standings. 

Dutch Fork will play two games against Irmo, while Lexington and River Bluff will face each other in their final series. The game between the Wildcats and Gators is not just a meeting between two region title contenders, it is also a game between the last two 5A state champions. 

Gilbert’s baseball and softball teams are also tied for first with local region foes. The baseball team began this week neck-and-neck with Airport at 11-1 apiece. The pair split their two-game series earlier this season, giving neither team an advantage. 

The Indian’s softball team is still undefeated in region games, but so is the Gray Collegiate team. 

The War Eagles and Indians will play twice next week in their final region series. Should one team sweep the other, it will be crowned region champion. If the teams tie, a tiebreaker will be enforced. 

These final few games have a lot on the line for all of these teams. Not only is the region title on the line, but playoff seeding and regional hosting odds are also affected. That’s why it is important for every team to try and close the year strong, not just the region title contenders. 

The baseball and softball regular season ends on May 3. The postseason begins a few days later on May 6 and runs until the end of the month. 

Lexington County teams have had a lot of recent playoff success, winning four state titles in the past three seasons. 

Big Performances 

Savanna Padgett drove in five runs on three hits after going 3-4 from the batter’s box and hitting a home run in Pelion’s win against Bamberg-Ehrhardt. 

Carter Bouknight struck out 12 batters while surrendering one hit in a complete game for the Batesburg-Leesville baseball team in a game against Pelion. 

Lauren Whitmer had three RBIs for River Bluff against Irmo after hitting a home run and two singles in four plate appearances. 

Logan Gadberry pitched five innings for White Knoll in a win over Newberry, finishing with seven strikeouts, no hits allowed, no runs allowed and one walk conceded. 

Sam Craig went 4-5 from the plate and scored three RBIs for Lexington’s softball team in a win over Dutch Fork. 

Preston Smith hit 1.000 in three plate appearances and scored five RBIs as Batesburg-Leesville beat Pelion. 

Upcoming games to watch 

Baseball 

Airport vs. Brookland-Cayce - April 21

Gilbert vs. Gray Collegiate - April 22

River Bluff vs. Lexington - April 22

Dutch Fork vs. Irmo - April 22

Softball

Gilbert vs. Gray Collegiate - April 21

White Knoll vs. Lexington - April 22

Batesburg-Leesville vs. Pelion - April 22

River Bluff vs. Dutch Fork - April 22