By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
Action has heated back up for Woodruff’s spring sports teams following a much-needed spring break, and it is a race to the finish for the Wolverines as the playoffs fast approach. It was an exciting week all around for Woodruff’s spring sports teams and athletes. Look back at all the action here.
Track and Field Teams Compete at Spartanburg County Invitational
The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams competed on Tuesday in the Spartanburg County Invitational meet, with several standout performances by a number of Wolverines. On the men’s side, Nathan McConnell finished second overall in the pole vault. Dawson Clevenger finished fourth overall in the shot put, while Daniel Haas finished third in discus. On the women’s side, Callie Adams placed third overall in the pole vault, and Alexis Baldwin finished seventh in the javelin throw.
Woodruff Boys Soccer Rolling to the Finish
Following their dominating 4-0 victory over Greer Middle College, the Wolverine boys’ soccer team crushed Mountain View Prep 10-0 on Tuesday night to improve to 13-2 on the season and 6-2 in region play. Should Woodruff win their final two conference games against Chapman and Union County, it would, at worst, set up a tiebreaker game for the conference championship, and, if not, win the region title outright for the Wolverines. Tuesday’s win was the second time this season that Woodruff has scored double digits in goals, and it is the seventh shutout recorded by the team in 15 games.
Lady Wolverine Soccer Team Looking to Lock up Home Play-off Game
The Woodruff girls’ soccer team took one step closer to securing second place in Region 3-3A and at least one home play-off game with a 7-0 drubbing of Mountain View Prep on Tuesday night. With the victory, the Lady Wolverines improved to 12-5-1 overall and 6-2 in region play, with two conference games remaining against Chapman and Union County, both of whom they defeated earlier in the season.
Two Intense Games for Woodruff Softball
The Woodruff softball team split a pair of exciting games, winning their region match-up against Broome and falling to Chesnee 11-9 in a nine-inning thriller. In the Lady Wolverines’ 4-1 win over Broome, junior Danicka Simmons pitched a complete game while allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven. Mary Ellis Mitchell hit a two-run homer in the game. Against Chesnee, Alexis Mock, Harrison Rhodes, and Mitchell each finished with two hits with Mitchell also recording a double.
More Records Fall for Barnaby, Woodruff Baseball
The Wolverine baseball team picked up two much-needed victories to begin the week, defeating region rival Union County 6-2 and defeating Blacksburg 10-6 on senior night Tuesday. Against Union County, Kayden Barnaby, Jackson Richard, and Tate Rogers each recorded two hits while Noah Conyers pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs and striking out five. Barnaby also notched two more records for the books, becoming the all-time leader in runs scored in program history against the Yellow Jackets on Monday. On Tuesday against Blacksburg, he tied the single-season record for stolen bases and now has 31 on the season. He is already the all-time career leader in stolen bases for the Wolverines. Senior Thomas Watson started the game for the Wolverines against Blacksburg and recorded the first out of the game himself on a pop-up. Conyers drove in three runs, and Luke Cooper and Tate Rogers each notched two hits. Carter Schubach earned the win on the mound, tossing one and a third innings of scoreless relief.
Woodruff Golf Getting Back in the Swing
The Woodruff golf team has been getting back in the swing of things since spring break, according to head coach Buck Mosteller. In a match on April 15, the Wolverines defeated Brashier Middle College 179-196. On Monday, Woodruff competed in a tri-match, and while the Wolverines finished third out of a field that included Clinton and Chapman, the score between them was just four strokes from first to third. The Wolverines compete this Thursday in a tournament in Rutherfordton, NC.
Boys Tennis Finishing Strong
The Woodruff Boys’ tennis team competed well last week, finishing 2-1 amid a busy three-match slate. The Wolverines defeated Broome and Mountain View Prep and fell to Chapman. Woodruff stands at 5-2 in region play with one conference match remaining against Union County. Micah Vanadore remains undefeated in region singles matches at 7-0, winning at number two and three singles. Owen Edmondson and Ben Martin have played well, too, sporting 5-2 region records in singles competition.
