Photos by Morgen Orr West Columbia's Ryan Burt is caught in a rundown in the first inning, as Richland catcher Kirk Sims prepares to tag the runner out. Richland Post 6 used strong pitching, a home run from Kyle Williamson, and several excellent defensive plays to defeat West Columbia Post 79 on Friday June 20. The game was called due to torrential rain and lightening mid-way through the fifth inning with the Pathfinders leading the Lakers 8- 3.

West Columbia started the scoring in the top of the first, adding consecutive singles to a Richland error to score Luke Beasley. Richland answered back emphatically with four singles and a hit batsman to drive in three runs in the bottom of the inning. Kirk Sims's single off the left field wall drove in Will Freeman and Kyle Strasburger and pushed the Pathfinders to a 3- 1 lead.

Zach Sharpe doubled to right to drive home Steven Griggs for Post 79 in the second inning, cutting the Richland lead in half. However, Sims threw out a runner at second base to end the second as West Columbia stranded a runner at third.

Photos by Morgen Orr Richland's Kyle Strasburger approaches home plate while Will Freeman rounds third. Both scored on Kirk Sims's single to left in the first inning. In the home half of the inning, Leland Shealy led off with an infield single, and Williamson helped his own cause by launching a home run to left center field. West Columbia pitcher Travis Brandenburg was able to strike out the last two bat- ters of the inning to hold off Richland in the second.

Post 6 added two more runs in the third when Shealy doubled to left, bringing Sims and Mo Holler across the plate for a 7- 2 advantage.

In the top of the fourth, Thomas Little crushed a ball deep to left to lead off the inning, but Richland left fielder Robert Gibbes fired his throw in from near the fence to nab a stunned Little at second base. Post 79 did add a third run when Griggs tripled home Preston Sollee, but Richland again escaped further damage with a bizarre double play to end the inning, catching Griggs in a rundown and then throwing out Nick Miklosky who was trying to stretch his single into a double.

Richland's Leland Shealy tosses his helmet to a teammate as he nears home plate on Kyle Williamson's second inning homerun. The bottom of the fourth provided another Richland run when an error allowed Gibbes to score to make the score 8- 3 in favor of the home team.

Beginning between half- innings in the fifth, severe lightening was spotted nearby, and the game was put on delay. Eventually heavy rains followed, accompanying the cacoph- ony of thunder and intense lightening, ending the game. With half of the game completed, the score stands as final giving the Pathfinders another home victory.

West Columbia's Travis Brandenburg pitches to a Richland batter.