Lexington Downs South Aiken 4-1; Plays Host to Lower State Finals Friday

Lexington, S.C. -- Josh Reagan went the distance scattering seven hits and Nick Ciuffo drove in two runs with two hits that helped top-ranked Lexington to a 4-1 win over 10th-ranked South Aiken in the second round of the AAAA Lower State high school baseball playoffs at Wildcats Field on Monday.

Lexington, which improved to 25-4, plays host to either South Aiken or Sumter in the Lower State championship on Friday needing just one win to advance to the best-of-three State Championship series. South Aiken, which fell to 18-8, plays Sumter in an elimination game on Wednesday.

Ryan Brown led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dalton Addy and scored when Ciuffo lined a single to center giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

A throwing error and a sacrifice fly by Cole McMillan stretched Lexington's lead to 3-0 in the third. Ciuffo added another RBI single to center in the fourth inning for the final margin.

Reagan (9-0) pitched his fourth complete game of the season allowing a run with no walks and eight strikeouts. Jamie Morlan started and suffered the loss for South Aiken surrendering four runs, two earned, on six hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Ciuffo finished 2-for-3, while Zach Paquette added two hits in three at bats to pace Lexington.  Stokes Griffith and Xavier Peralta went 2-for-3 for South Aiken.
 
Lexington 4, South Aiken 1
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South Aiken......... 000 000 1 -  1  7  1
Lexington...........  102 100 X -  4  8  0
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WP - Josh Reagan (9-0). LP - Jamie Morlan.
Lexington, Nick Ciuffo 2-3,2 RBI; Zach Paquette 2-3.
South Aiken, Stokes Griffith 2-3; Xavier Peralta 2-3.
Records: Lexington 25-4, South Aiken 18-8.
Lexington plays host to either South Aiken or Sumter in the Lower State finals on Friday. South Aiken plays Sumter in an elimination game on Wednesday.