The St. James Sharks are starting to look a lot like the same team that won the Class AAA state championship last season.
Despite losing 10 seniors off last year’s state-title squad, the Sharks find themselves in familiar territory after winning Friday’s district playoff winners’ bracket game 4-1 over visiting Hilton Head Island.
The victory secured a spot in the district finals Wednesday against a playoff opponent to be determined. That’s five days of rest before getting two shots to return to the Lower State tournament.
St. James pitcher Anders DeShields, coming off his no-hitter against Socastee in last week’s region title showdown, threw a complete-game two-hitter after getting off to a shaky start.
The Seahawks scored one run in the first inning to take the early lead, but it was short-lived as the Sharks struck for three runs in the bottom of the frame and another in the second inning to cap the night’s scoring.
It was more than DeShields needed to knock off the Seahawks and send them home to await the winner of Saturday’s North Myrtle Beach-Bluffton elimination game. The winner faces Hilton Head on Monday, and the winner of that game goes to the Shark Tank needed to win a pair from St. James to advance.
- Photo by Rancier Photography
