By Thomas Grant Jr.
The opening weekend for the Lexington County Blowfish was filled with action both game and non-game related at the stadium.
The defending Coastal Plain League champions split their first two home games. On Friday, it jumped out to a seven-run lead before holding on for the 8-7 victory over the Macon Bacon.
Lexington County erased a 1-0 deficit with six unanswered runs. After the Blowfish took a 2-1 lead in the third, Jarrett Whitley of Irmo belted a 2-run double, newcomer J.K. Perez followed with an RBI double, and Wells Sykes of The Citadel drove in a run with a single as part of a 4-run fourth inning.
Perez went 3-4 and both Whitley and Sykes had two hits to lead the offense.
Lexington added two more runs in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 8-1. The Bacon began their comeback in the Top 7th inning with three runs off winning pitcher Jaylen Morgan.
Lucas Highberger pitched a scoreless eighth inning in which he was aided by right fielder Thomas Powell. With the baserunner at second attempting to steal third, the River Bluff graduate fired a timely throw for the putout.
Highberger ran into trouble in the ninth. He walked two batters and allowed a run to make it 8-6, prompting Menhart to call in Powell from rightfield to get the final two outs.
The Bacon picked up another run, but Powell got the final out on a groundball fielded by Perez to end the game.
Lexington County played their opener without head coach K.C. Brown. He was serving as assistant coach with Georgia College and State University at the NCAA Division II Super Regional Friday at host team Catawba College.
The Bobcats dropped the series after losing the first two of the Best-of-Three series.
Pitching coach Michael Menhart and assistant coach Banks Faulkner led the team in his absence.
The next night saw a special softball game precede the contest against the Asheboro Zookeepers. Both sheriffs Jay Koon of Lexington and Leon Lott of Richland put together teams to face each other as part of a charity game to support the USO South Carolina.
An organization which aids veterans, it received a portion of the ticket sales from Saturday’s game.
It was also Irmo Night as the Blowfish highlighted the town, its leaders, and citizens.
Unfortunately, the team fell behind early and lost in eight innings 13-2.
The Blowfish spent Memorial Day in Florence for their first road game. It was a scoreless game through six innings before the Flamingos scored three runs in the bottom of the 7th and added two in the eighth for a 5-0 victory.
LEXINGTON COUNTY BLOWFISH SCHEDULE
THURSDAY – at Macon Bacon 7 p.m.
FRIDAY – FOREST CITY OWLS 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY – at Forest City Owls 7:05 p.m.
BLOWFISH vs. CATAWBA VALLEY STARS 7:05 p.m.
TUESDAY – ASHEBORO ZOOKEEPERS 7:05 p.m.
WEDNESDAY – at Florence Flamingos 7 p.m.
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