The sights and sounds of Fort Jackson recruits and a home victory have gone missing for some time at Lexington County Baseball Stadium.

Both made their triumphant "reappearances" Saturday night. For the first time since 2019, busloads of recruit companies made their way to the stadium to watch the Lexington County Blowfish in action as part of a doubleheader.

They witnessed the Blowfish rebound from a Game 1 loss to earn a split with a Game 2 victory. More important, the win snapped the longest losing streak for the franchise since moving to Lexington in 2014 at 12 games. The last win came June 20 at home against Macon. 

Owls 3, Blowfish 2 (Game 1)

Lexington County was two outs away from snapping its losing streak.

An inability for the bullpen to hold the lead and errors once again propped up at the most inopportune time.

After trailing 1-0, Coastal Plain League All-Star Crosby Jones of Dutch Fork tied the game in the fourth with a solo home run. In the fifth, Wells Sykes of Lexington High School gave the Blowfish a 2-1 lead with a RBI sacrifice fly to score newcomer Prince Alexander.

The score remained that way headed to the top of the seventh. Reliever Beau Ross replaced Michael Watson, who struck out nine batters and allowed just four hits in just his second start with the Blowfish.

After David Lewis lined out to Coastal Plain League All-Star Braylin Marine at shortstop, Alex Khan doubled off Ross into centerfield. Facing a 3-2 count, William Argentino singled to score pinch runner Wade Kelly and tie the game.

Argentino advanced to second base on the hit and moved to third on Carter Lindsey's groundout. Kyle Hess then hit a groundball to newcomer Prince Alexander at second base, but his throw went errant past first baseman and All-Star Brock Vradenburg for an error to score Argentino.

The Blowfish were retired in order to end the game. It marked the 10th time this season they had lost a game in which they were either tied or had the lead.

Blowfish 5, Owls 4 (Game 2)

A familiar theme played itself out in the first three 1/2 innings for the Blowfish.

They took an early 2-0 as Wells Sykes scored off a wild pitch in the first and Tristan Bissetta scored off a double play in the third inning.

Forest City answered with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Reliever Parker Whittle of Airport gave up RBI singles with two outs to Dalen Thompson and Jacob Marcos to put the Owls up 3-2.

In Marcos' previous at-bat against Whittle in the second inning, he fouled off seven out of 13 pitches taken before striking out. It was one of the Winthrop University pitcher's team-high five strikeouts.

This time, Lexington County answered back to take a lead it would not relinquish. Talmadge Lecroy of the University of South Carolina reached to lead off the bottom of the fourth off an error and advanced to second base.

Newcomer Ward Hacklin of Dutch Fork and Bissenta both drew walks to load the bases. Caleb Oakley followed with a third straight walk by Forest City pitchers to force in the game-tying run in Lecroy.

Sykes followed with a two-run single to centerfield to give Lexington County the 5-3 lead. It was the third of his team-high four hits in Game 2.

After the Owls loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, another former Airport Eagle, Dalton Mims, replaced winning pitcher C.J. Czerwinski. He gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to Alex Khan, but struck out William Hiller for the third out.

The Owls had a runner on first with two outs in the seventh. Fittingly, Sykes closed out the game and end of the losing streak by catching the flyout in centerfield.

Lexington County (11-20, 1-6) became the last West Division team to win a game in the second half of the regular season. Following the All-Star Game Sunday in Holly Springs, N.C., a game in which five Lexington players were selected, the Blowfish return home to face the Macon Bacon.