LANCASTER – The Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors took game one in their series with Lancaster Post 31.
Post 43 won 10-2 taking advantage of a dozen walks from Lancaster. Fort Mill also got eight hits.
Fort Mill took an early 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
Josh Patterson was hit by a pitch to start the game and starting pitcher Alex Blanchette walked. Jacob Pettit singled to load the bases before a fielder’s choice by Michael Rogers scored the first run of the game for Fort Mill. A single by Brayden Hampton scored the other run in the inning.
Lancaster came back in the bottom of the inning and tied things up at two.
Post 43 then started adding runs in the third inning. Andrew Craddock had a bases loaded fielder’s choice to put Fort Mill up 3-2.
Then in the fourth inning, James Knoll, TJ McCluney and Josh Patterson all singled with Knoll scoring on an error. Blanchette singled and Pettit hit a sacrifice fly to score McCluney.
In the fifth inning, Post 31 walked the bases loaded and another Lancaster error scored two more Fort Mill runs to make it 7-2.
Post 43 kept rolling in the sixth inning with a two out single by Knoll scoring courtesy runner Cole Gutmann and Craddock, who walked earlier in the inning.
Fort Mill started the seventh with Blanchette walking with one out. Pettit singled courtesy runner Justin Brink to third. Brink would score on a ball by Lancaster pitching to make it 10-2 in Post 43’s favor.
Blanchette would be replaced on the mound to start the seventh inning by Cooper Mitchell. Blanchette went six innings and two runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out six. Mitchell closed the game out for Fort Mill not allowing a hit in the seventh.
At the plate, Pettit led going 3-3 with an RBI. Knoll went 2-4 with two RBIs. Rogers, Hampton, and Craddock each had RBIs as well to lead Fort Mill.
Post 43 improved to 2-1 in league play and 3-3 overall. They are scheduled to next play at home on Wednesday, June 18.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
