SCHSL to hear appeal over Summerville baseball forfeit on Tuesday, according to source

           Summerville – The South Carolina High School League will listen to Summerville High School's appeal over the forfeit of the deciding game of the AAAAA baseball lower state tournament against Ashley Ridge due to a pitch-count violation on Tuesday, according to a source close to the situation.

           A release from the SCHSL on Friday said Summerville has requested the appeal but a date has yet to be set. It stated the AAAAA state championship series, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday, is postponed until further notice.

           Summerville thought it had won the game and advanced to the AAAAA baseball state championship series only to find out it would probably have to forfeit the win to Ashley Ridge on an apparent pitch-count violation.

           Green Wave junior Chase Lewis singled in the top of the eighth inning of the decisive game of the AAAAA lower state tournament to drive in Louden Fachko and break a 4-4 tie. Then junior Banks Knight, who reached on a walk and moved to third on the hit by Lewis, came home on a wild pitch to give the Green Wave a 6-4 lead.

           In the bottom of the frame, Ashley Ridge senior Matthew Dominianni was hit by a pitch and senior Ryan Bruno hit a blooper that looked like it was going to fall in left field. However, Fachko made a diving catch and then doubled up Dominianni at first to leave Ashely Ridge with only one out. Senior Cooper Godsave singled, but then Fachko caught another fly ball and the Summerville celebration started.

           That celebration was short-lived as Summerville soon found out its starting pitcher, Thayer Tavormina, who faced only two batters and threw three pitches during a 5-4 Ashley Ridge win on Wednesday, had apparently exceeded his pitch-count limit.

           Whoever is determined to bet the lower state champion will advance to play upper state champion Lexington in the best-of-3 state championship series.

          Multiple coaches at the game said the rule, which was recently changed, states if a player pitches at all one day or evening, he is limited to 75 pitches the following day or evening. The pitch count would have been higher for Summerville’s starter had he not pitched the night before.

           The High School League might make a decision as soon as Friday, according to Ashley Ridge athletic director Randall Tucker.

           Ashley Ridge scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning of the decisive game to gain momentum. A Dominianni single was followed by a bunt single laid down by Bruno.

Dominianni was driven in by Andrew McLaughlin, and Bruno scored on a bunt single by Jack Healing. Easton Thorpe drove in McLaughlin and then Healing scored on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Christopher for the 4-0 Swamp Fox lead.

          Summerville’s PJ Morlando led off the third with a double. Knight then drove him in with a double of his own for a 4-1 score that held until the sixth.

          Ashley Ridge pitcher Ethan Lopez only allowed three hits before he was relieved by Sully Curti after the first batter in the fifth. Curti fared well the rest of that inning, but gave up a 2-run home run to Summerville first baseman Wiley Waring in the sixth to allow the Green Wave to pull within a run.

          In the top of the seventh, Summerville tied the game off a single by Drew Hayes and an RBI single by catcher Shep Cadwell.

          During the first game of the series, Christopher got the start on the hill for Ashley Ridge and only allowed two hits during the first 5-plus innings. Lopez entered the game in the sixth inning and didn’t allow a single hit.

          In the top of the seventh, Ashely Ridge got a double from Godsave and base hits from McLaughlin and Bruno. McLaughlin’s hit drove in two runs to give the Swamp Foxes the 5-4 lead.