(Photo by Brian Linder/T&D)-Bamberg-Ehrhardt third baseman and leadoff hitter Ross Nettles- (USC Salkehatchie Recruit) gets pumped up after sliding in to score a run against Chesterfield during Friday’s Game Three of the Class A state championship series. B-E star Don Sandifer (19) waits to slap hands with his teammate after the score.Times and Democrat-
By Thomas Grant JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
LEXINGTON -- Zack Godley has successfully played this role before for Bamberg-Ehrhardt.If fellow senior pitching ace Don Sandifer is “Mr. Clutch,” then Godley is “The Closer.” Last May at Lexington High School, he pitched seven shutout innings against Chesterfield to lead the Red Raiders to a 7-0 victory and their first state title in 13 years.Friday night at White Knoll High School, Godley gave another strong leading performance to provide the same happy ending for Red Raiders fans in the sequel to last year’s state championship run.
Though the final score was slightly different, the outcome was the same as B-E defeated Chesterfield 7-1 to repeat as Class A champions.“I’m glad we got to do it again,” said Godley, who was slightly hobbled after getting mobbed by his teammates during the postgame celebration. “It’s a great experience.”In rallying from an 0-1 series deficit against Chesterfield for the second straight year to claim its state-record 15th championship, B-E (29-5) won the final two games by a 16-2 margin. Following Don Sandifer’s 15-strikeout performance Wednesday, Godley came back after a rough appearance in Monday’s Game One loss to subdue the Golden Rams (22-9).The big right-hander, who has signed to play for Spartanburg Methodist, allowed just three hits and fanned nine, including the last seven Chesterfield batters he retired.
Meanwhile, sophomore Randon Sandifer solidified himself as the heir apparent team leader heading into next season with three RBIs on three hits.“Randon is going to be a heck of a baseball player, but he already is,” B-E head coach David Horton said. “He’s a sophomore, but he’s one of the better sophomores in the state.”Chesterfield also did not have an answer to B-E’s experience and aggressiveness. The Red Raiders stole four bases against the Golden Rams, who flustered right out the gate under the big-game pressure with three errors and seven passed balls.The confident Red Raiders jumped out to an early lead as they capitalized off a shaky start by Chesterfield’s Tim Pratt. The Golden Rams’ pitcher threw three passed balls in the first inning; setting up B-E’s first two runs on an RBI single by Randon Sandifer and a sacrifice fly by Godley.
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