LANCASTER – The Nation Ford baseball team opened their spring season participating in the Comporium Invitational at Buford High School.
The game was played at Buford High School against host Buford Yellow Jackets, came away with the win getting an 8-3 victory.
Nation Ford struck first scoring in the top of the second with a double by Alex Smith. Justin Brink the drove in Smith with a sacrifice to put the Falcons on the board.
Buford scored in the bottom of the second to tie the game. But the tie didn’t last long as Grey Kneidel got things started with a walk in the top of the third inning. Cooper Mitchell would double and Jackson Childs would knock in Kneidel with a sacrifice fly giving Nation Ford a 2-1 lead.
Buford struck back to tie the game in the bottom of the third and then scored two runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets threaten in the bottom of the fifth inning, but reliever Carter Powell got out of a bases loaded jam without allowing a run.
Like Buford, Nation Ford threatened in the top of the sixth inning getting Smith to third after he was intentionally walked, but was not able to drive him in.
In the bottom of the sixth after a pitching change by the Falcons, Buford extended its lead with a two-run home run by Jackson Sellers putting the Yellow Jackets up 6-2 and extending their lead.
Buford kept its foot on the gas and extended its lead again in the inning with the help of a two-run error by Nation Ford with two outs. The Falcons made three errors in the game.
Nation Ford did their best to rally in the top of the seventh getting two on base with one out. Simon Fernandez would drive in Kneidel, who walked to reach base, but that would be all the Falcons could do in trying to get back in the game.
The Falcons’ Cooper Mitchell got the start on the mound for Nation Ford. He went three and two third innings allowing four runs on four hits, while walking two and striking out nine. Powell would go one and a third inning allowing one run on one hit, while walking two and striking out two. Jacob Neff finished the game going an inning allowing three runs on three hits, while walking one and striking out two.
At the plate, Nation Ford was led by Mitchell, who went 2-4, and Fernandez, who went 1-3 with an RBI.
Nation Ford will face Lancaster on Monday, March 3 for another game in the invitational back at Buford.
March 1 Roundup
The Fort Mill girls’ soccer team got their first win of the season with a 3-0 shutout of Lucy Becham at Spring Valley during the Viking Cup. Fort Mill is 1-1 on the season.
The Nation Ford girls’ soccer team tied Greenville 0-0 and beat Providence Athletic 5-1 in the Viking Cup on Saturday. Nation Ford is 2-0-1 on the season.
The Nation Ford softball team went 4-0 in the Beat Cancer with a Bat tournament in Kershaw County. The Falcons beat Silver Bluff 10-0, Ben Lippen 13-0, Central 17-1 and Providence Athletic Club 4-1.
The Catawba Ridge girls’ soccer team beat North Augusta 4-0 and Carolina Forest 2-0 in the Viking Cup and is now 3-0 on the season.
The Catawba Ridge baseball team dropped to 1-1 on the season after falling 6-0 to Oceanside at the PBR Showdown at the Shipyard in Mount Pleasant.
The Catawba Ridge boys’ lacrosse team beat Riverside 8-7 to pick up their first win of the season and are now 1-1 on the year.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
