By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
The no-see-ums are notoriously bad at Beaufort High School this time of year, and even the consistent breeze of opposing hitters swinging and missing — again and again — can’t keep them at bay.
Getting rid of those gnawing gnats is about the only thing Kylie Rast doesn’t do on the diamond.
Rast continued her sensational senior season with two more impressive efforts in the circle last week, compiling 29 strikeouts while allowing only two hits and no earned runs in complete games against Hilton Head Island and T.L. Hanna, the latter in a losing effort.
The North Greenville signee struck out 18 in Thursday’s 8-0 win over Hilton Head Island High, keeping a young Seahawks squad on edge — she hit three batters and walked two — and allowing just one hit in her fourth shutout of the season. The 18 strikeouts matched her total in a nine-inning effort against Battery Creek earlier this season, and she punched out 11 more batters in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to T.L. Hanna — the 11th time she has posted double-digit strikeouts in 13 starts this year.
The Eagles’ defense let them down against the Yellow Jackets, as five errors led to three unearned runs. It’s a recurring theme with a young team growing into roles — only seven of Rast’s 34 runs allowed have been earned — but if they can put it all together on defense, the Eagles know a star pitcher can carry a softball team to a state title.
And they have one.
Going into Tuesday’s region matchup with struggling North Charleston, Rast has a whopping 164 strikeouts (and only 19 walks) across 77 innings. That swing-and-miss potential is a factor that should help the Eagles neutralize threats and limit big innings in the postseason.
Beaufort will likely have to hit more, or find other ways to produce runs, in order to advance deep into the playoffs, but with Rast on the mound, sometimes one run is enough.
Beaufort (8-4, 4-0) will be tested over the final week of the regular season, traveling to James Island on April 18 and hosting Oceanside Collegiate a day later in a pair of tough non-region matchups ahead of key Region 8-3A games against Hanahan to close out the slate.
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
