Pierce County seeded 1st entering Class AA state tourney; opens with No. 32 Columbia
BEARVILLE — Second-ranked Pierce County closed out the 2026 regular season here Friday recording a 12-2 victory in five innings over Class A DII sixthranked Clinch County.
The April 17 win tied the school record for consecutive wins at 18 set during the 2015 season.
The top-seed Bears (25-3) will put their winning streak on the line in the first round against 32nd-seed Columbia (4-14). Games 1 and 2 are scheduled for Friday, April 24. No times have been released. An “if” game would be played Saturday, April 25.
Clinch County (20-9) entered the season finale having won five of its last six games. The Panthers were unable to battle back from a dreadful first inning.
The Bears scored nine runs in their first at bat with the first 10 batters reaching before a doubleplay liner interrupted the stretch.
Chance Williams (2-for-3) got the inning started with a line drive single to center. He stole second and third ahead of a walk to Beck Hodges and a run-scoring single by Jack McClellan (3-for-3), the first of six hits driving home runs in the opening frame.
Jonathan Stone (2-for-3) followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 lead. After a walk to Dylan Johnson loaded the bases, Brantley Willis (1-for-3) followed with an infield hit with a second run scoring on an error upping the advantage to 4-0.
Christian Osbourne’s (1-for-3) ensuing double driving in two runs was followed by Bryson Smith’s (3-for-3) RBI single for a 7-0 lead. After a walk to Grayson Arington (1-for-1), Williams’ hard grounder to third was bobbled loading the bases chasing Clinch County starter Tate Denmark (0 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 0 K, 3 BB) after 10 batters.
Following a lineout doubleplay, Williams stole second. Both Smith and Williams scored on a single by McClellan capping the scoring explosion for a 9-0 lead.
The Panthers scored their runs in the second against Emmitt Hall (2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP), the first of four pitchers used by PCHS. Willis, Colt Hickox and Stone followed with each working an inning apiece and fanning two batters each.
Hunter Henderson (1-for-2) and Jacob Delk (1-for-2) had consecutive one-out, RBI singles.
Pierce County stretched the margin out to 12-2 with a three-run third against Jake King (3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 1 BB).
Smith led off the third launching a first-pitch, solo homer to left-center, his first of the season. Arington, who followed with a walk, and Williams, who singled, would eventually score without the benefit of a base hit.
Both runners tagged up and advanced a base on a Hodges fly ball to right. Each scored on a passed ball for a 10-run advantage.
