If Orangeburg needed a preview of what the playoffs are going to be like, they got it against Lake City.

Under the watchful eye of the home crowd, Post 4 battled their way back to pick up a 4-2 win over Post 73.

Starting pitchers Murray Smith and Tracy Bishop refused to give an inch early on. Through four innings, each pitcher only gave up one hit to their opposition making base hits even more crucial to the success of their teams.

“Both pitchers did a good job,” Lake City head coach Joey Weatherford said. “They got the ground balls and the fly balls like they were supposed to. Everybody played pretty good defense on both sides.”

Orangeburg (12-2) struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dillon Way, after tripling to center, scored on a sacrifice fly by Kory Sanders in the following at-bat making it 1-0.

Reggie Weatherford got Lake City (9-4) on the board in the top of the sixth when he scored on a single to left by Charlton Hanna.

After surrendering a run to Lake City, Smith got back on track and kept Post 73 out of his hair. Smith recorded six strikeouts and three walks in his complete game victory.

“Murray Smith pitched one heck of a ball game,” Orangeburg head coach Frank Leysath said. “I can’t talk about Murray enough. Murray’s had one heck of a season.”

Smith also had a 2-for-4 night at the plate with two doubles.

With the game tied at one, Post 4 made their move in the bottom of the eighth. After a 1-out single by Cody Gethridge, he and Rick Boyles scored on Reggie Weatherford’s second error of the inning to make it a 3-1 game. Nick Tritapoe added Orangeburg’s final run on a Dan Ulmer single to give Smith just enough of a lead to close the door in the ninth.

Despite finding themselves in a few rough spots throughout the night, Post 4 kept their composure and found ways to get out of the jams.

“I think it’s the character of this team,” Leysath said. “They don’t give up. They don’t quit. They figure out a way to get out of an inning. These guys come out here and they bust their buns and they let it all hang out.”

Post 4 will be back in action against Manning at Mirmow field on Monday at 7:30 p.m. However, Friday’s interleague showdown gave Orangeburg a taste of what postseason play will be like in just over two weeks.

“We’re going to see teams that we’re going to have to play from inning one to the last out in the ninth inning,” Leysath said. “To me, I thought this was a good game for us. We knew we were in for a fight. We knew we were going to have to play and they played super.” 

-- T&D Sports Writer Emery Glover can be reached by e-mail at eglover@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5532. Check out his blog, Cover 2, at www.TheTandD.com.

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