Johnson pitches a three-hit shutout; Jackets travel to B-HP on Tuesday

The Upper State 3A playoffs began tonight for Yellow Jackets as they hosted the Seneca Bobcats. Greer (20-5) advanced into the winner’s bracket after a 10-0 win in six innings. Both teams went down in order in the opening inning, but the Jackets broke the scoreless tie in the second scoring four runs.



Greer used four hits including 2-run singles by Matt Holliday and Brian Hudson to give starting pitcher Chandler Johnson all the support he would need. Johnson went six innings only allowing three hits, the first not coming until the fourth inning. The home team added two runs in the third thanks to senior Zach Shaffer’s 2-run double down the third base line.



Johnson would need some defensive support in the top of the fifth after walking the leadoff hitter and giving up consecutive singles. Sececa had the bases loaded with no outs but the defense held strong to get out of the inning not allowing any runs. Greer would close out the game in the bottom of the sixth scoring four runs on three hits and a Bobcat error. Shaffer collected his fourth RBI of the evening with a 3-run double to right center. The Jackets will now travel to Belton-Honea Path on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.



Greer:

Zach Shaffer: 2-3, 4 RBIs

Brian Hudson: 3-4, 2 RBI

Matt Holliday: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 2 SB

Chandler Johnson: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

The Yellow Jackets will host Seneca on Monday night at 6:00 p.m.

The Greer Yellow Jackets returned to the baseball diamond on Saturday afternoon in the State 3A playoffs against the Lugoff-Elgin Demons. The Jackets defeated the Demons, 8-3, for the second consecutive time and eliminated them from the playoffs.



After Greer starting pitcher Jeff Witt retired the Demons in order in the first inning, the Jackets would get the early lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Brian Hudson drew a walk from Demons pitcher Nick Mincey. Witt would single to left and Tyler Montgomery roped an RBI single to right field, scoring Hudson. Chandler Johnson would ground out to third for the second out but allow Witt to cross the plate for the second run of the inning.



The visitors capitalized on a Greer error in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead. Even after a week layoff from game action the Greer bats would bring them back again in the bottom of the inning, thanks to back to back singles and a two out double off the left field fence by Witt to put them up 4-3. The senior hurler for the Jackets would settle in and only allow two more hits over the next four innings. The Demons would not put another runner in scoring position until the top of the seventh inning.



The Yellow Jackets extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring four runs using only two hits but one of them coming off the bat of Witt, which collected his fourth RBI of the game, lacing a single through the left side of the infield. Junior Daniel Palka would close of the game to give Witt the win and send the Yellow Jackets into the Upperstate finals. Greer will now host the Seneca Bobcats on Monday night at 6:00 p.m.

Photo gallery from Greenville Online and Gwinn Davis

The Greer Yellow Jackets hosted cross town rival Riverside tonight as the two teams met for the second straight day. The Warriors won the first game, but the Jackets evened up the season with a 12-10 win. It did not take the visitors very long to get their bats going again as they took a 2-0 lead after their opening half inning. The bottom half of the first saw Brian Hudson leadoff the game for the Jackets with a homerun over the left field wall. Ross Robison reached on an error; the first of six committed by the Warriors on the evening, and would later score on a pass ball to tie the score. Daniel Palka would single and come around to give Greer their first lead, 3-2.



Riverside would have an answer of their own as they scored three runs in the second inning and two in the third and forth innings to hold a 9-6 lead. The Jackets had been unable to take full advantage of the Warriors fielding problems, as they stranded nine runners on base in the first four innings. The fifth inning proved to be the big inning that Greer Head Coach Bob Massullo had been waiting to see from his team.



Leadoff hitter Hudson would start off the inning reaching on a two base error by the right fielder and scored on an RBI single by Robison to make it a 10-7 game. Tyler Montgomery connected on an RBI single to right and later scored on Chandler Johnson’s run scoring single to tie up the game. It looked as though the inning might end with the score remaining tied after back to back outs. However, Austin Phillips stepped to the plate and delivered the game winning 2-run homerun to left. Palka would come in and close down the Warriors over the final two innings to get the save and give Zach Shaffer the win.



Congratulations to the Yellow Jackets on their tremendous win over their rivals. They will close out the regular season on Friday night against Union County on Senior Night. Come out and show your support for these young men.

FEBRUARY