The Catawba Ridge Copperheads softball team continues to show why they are two-time defending state champions.
Catawba Ridge improved to 12-0 on the season as they beat Fort Mill 11-1 on March 19. The win was their Region 3-5A opener for the Copperheads. Earlier this week, rankings for MaxPreps had Catawba Ridge ranked 21st in the country.
“The pitching has been huge,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Mike Mayak. “The bats are there. You got six commits on the squad. So, it is not a shocker, but the pitching has been huge. We have one goal and that is to win the last playoff game of the year. The nice appealing thing is the ranking, but the goal is to win the last playoff game of the year. We aren’t focused on the ranking. We are focused on playing the game well, and if we win, we win and if we lose, we lose. We just have a standard we want to play with each game.”
Catawba Ridge wasted no time getting on the board as Jaidyn Harris hit a solo home run to centerfield on just the second pitch of the game. B.G. Yates then singled and Sara Rocheleau doubled her to third. Kendra Murray sacrificed in Yates and Rocheleau scored on an error.
Fort Mill was able to settle down and get the next two outs, but the Copperheads had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the first.
The Jackets got their first batter on base in Brooke Rosario after an error by the Copperheads.
Fort Mill pitcher Haley Rogers started well in the second inning. Charli Burney tripled to right and scored on a fielder’s choice. The Jackets would get out of the inning without allowing another run.
Catawba Ridge starter Keira O’Brien also started strong in the circle for the Copperheads. Fort Mill’s Natalie Razum walked to get on in the second, but the Jackets couldn’t scratch a run.
In the top of the third, Rocheleau doubled, which led to a two-run homer by Murray. That was followed with a solo home run by Mia Kovacs to make the score 7-0. The Copperheads got another base runner, but left her stranded.
Fort Mill got their first hit of the game with a double by Rosario with one out. She would steal second and be driven in on a sacrifice by Emily Poteat. Elise Nordgren then singled for the Jackets, before the Copperheads would get out of the inning.
Yates doubled in the bottom of the fourth for Catawba Ridge and scored after stealing third extending their lead.
In the top of the fifth, Kovacs doubled and Kyrsten Reynolds walked. Peyton Batot singled driving two runs and scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to give the Copperheads a 10-run lead.
O’Brien allowed one base runner in the fifth inning, but the Jackets came up short failing to extend the game.
Yates, Rocheleau, and Kovacs each had two hits and Murray led with three RBIs. Murray and Kovacs each hit home runs, as did Harris. O’Brien went all five innings allowing one run on two hits, while waking three and striking out 11.
Fort Mill was led by Rosario and Nordgren, both of which had hits. Fort Mill was playing in just their third game of the season. The Jackets are 2-1 on the season and 1-1 in region play.
“Going into it, I just asked the girls to compete,” said Fort Mill head coach Skyler O’Mara. “Mentally, I wanted them to compete. Each game we have played, there are certain aspects of us getting better. It is baby steps. It is just little steps at a time.”
Fort Mill next host Northwestern on Friday, March 21, while Catawba Ridge travels to Indian Land on the same day.
March 19 Roundup
The Fort Mill baseball team went up 2-0 against Clover in their three-game series improving to 6-2 on the season with an 11-3 win. Jacob Pettit went 3-3 in the game with three home runs and six RBIs to lead the Jackets. Fort Mill is 3-2 in Region 3-5A.
The Catawba Ridge baseball team beat Northwestern 4-1 to even their three-game series at 1-1. The win improved the Copperheads to 5-3-1 on the season and 3-2 in Region 3-5A. Sam Schwamb went 3-4 with two RBIs to lead the Copperheads.
The Catawba Ridge golf team beat Northwestern 169-182 to improve to 2-1. Leading the Copperheads was a 39 from Niam Sethi, followed by a 41 from Bray Vining and a 43 from Muller Otto. Carter Mitten rounded out the scoring with a 46.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
