BASEBALL - SCISA CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Falcons' run comes to an end
Photos and Story
By Mike Maddock
Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Ben Lippen shortstop Mobley Jeter tries to tag Augusta Christian's William Banks.

The Ben Lippen Falcons and their fans may be hurting now, but they have a bright future on the baseball diamond.

The Augusta Christian Lions came to Ben Lippen Tuesday, May 15 and completed a two- game sweep of the Falcons by beating them 12- 5. The win gave the Lions their third straight SCISA 3A baseball state championship and ended the Falcons improbable and impressive playoff run. It was a run that included sweeps of Orangeburg Prep, lower #2 seed Porter Gaud, and upper #1 seed Wilson Hall.

The Falcons racked up 57 runs in the six playoff games prior to the championship series and surrendered only 20. They did that with just one starting senior, Greg Dunston.

Dunston got Ben Lippen on the board Tuesday night in the first inning with a single that scored Kyle Williamson from third base. The Lions answered in the third inning with five runs, two of which came on Will Nelson's single down the right field line which scored Tyler Bordeaux and Josh Whitaker.

Ben Lippen pitcher Kyle Williamson had five strike outs.

Mobley Jeter scored on a Kyle Williamson ground out to second base in the fifth inning closing the gap to 5- 2, but the Lions exploded for seven more runs in the sixth to put the game away.

However, the Falcons did not quit, scoring one run in the sixth when Rob Brigman drove in Greg Dunston from third with a double deep down the left field line. Then, in the seventh, Blane Walker scored on Rick Davis's triple to the left- center field fence. Dunston plated Davis with an infield single.

The Falcons finish the season at 20- 8 and should return eight starters and plenty of experienced players in 2008.

Ben Lippen's only starting senior, Greg Dunston, gets one of his three hits and two RBI.