Saluda falls in 2A state softball championship against East Clarendon
SALUDA, SC. (WRDW/WAGT) - Saluda’s young softball team accomplished a feat that no other team has ever done in program history.
Saturday night, Saluda faced East Clarendon in game two of the SCHSL 2A State Championship best-of-three game series.
This is the first time in history that Saluda made it to the state title round.
The Tigers dropped game one Wednesday night (2-1) to the Wolverines, but had a chance to stay alive with a win in game two.
East Clarendon got out to a fast start in the first inning with a pair of bunt singles from Zoey Culick and Addison Fleming.
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The Wolverines carried a two-run lead into the third, and the Tigers were already facing the heat.
Nylan Jordan got Saluda on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single into right field.
While Saluda’s defense worked to mitigate any further damage, East Clarendon starting pitcher Lakelyn Gaskins was throwing the Tigers for a whirl.
Gaskins struck out nearly ten batters in game two, and Saluda was down to its last breath in the bottom of the seventh.
Down to their last out, Saluda’s Karen Alavarez slapped a two-run homer to right field, and just one batter later, the Tigers’ season came to an end.
Saluda falls (5-3) in the SCHSL 2A State Championship against East Clarendon.
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“We did make history, and this is the first ever trophy of any sort that is going to be in our trophy case,” said Saluda Head Coach Hannah Towery.
The 2025 Tigers team consisted of nine seventh and eighth-graders.
A young roster that will have plenty more opportunities to avenge this year’s gutting finish.
“They’re definitely going to respond,” said Towery. “This is a group that, if you make them mad, or if you fuel their fire, they’re just going to keep going.”
Saluda lost four seniors from its 2024 roster and now has a fresh batch to work with for the years to come.
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