IRMO – Cayla Drotar homered and struck out eight as Hartsville beat Union County 3-1 in the deciding game of the Class 3A softball state title series.
The win gives Hartsville its first championship since 2012, when Drotar led them to a title as an eighth grader. The Red Foxes have been back three times since then, but got swept by Union County each of the last two seasons. Drotar, a South Carolina signee, homered three times in this year’s series to make sure that didn’t happen again.
Taylor Watford drove in a run in the first inning and another in the third inning, as Hartsville built a 2-0 lead. Drotar’s solo home run extended the advantage to 3-0 in the fifth.
Union County got the winning run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but Kristin Kicidis grounded out back to Drotar for the final out.