A key home run by Cooper Diehl helped spark a comeback for Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors in the American Legion Junior State Tournament at Fort Mill High School.
Fort Mill scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Lexington Post 7 by a score of 5-3.
Post 43 will now have to face Richland Post 215, who beat them twice in the second round of the playoffs last week, on Monday, July 21.
Fort Mill being the lower seed was the visiting team in the game against Lexington.
Both teams threatened in the first inning, but neither one could score.
Things got busy in the third for Fort Mill. Eli Cheske singled to start the inning. Michael Caropreso and Brayden Grogan both walked. Cooper Diehl reached on an error scoring Cheske. Matthew Scott drove in Caropreso on a sacrifice fly to put them up 2-0.
In the fifth, Fort Mill added another run. Caropreso started the inning off with a single. Grogan and Diehl singled to load the bases. Scott drove in Grogan to put Post 43 up 3-0.
Lexington got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with the help of an error and sacrifice bunt.
Fort Mill again got base runners, but struggled in trying to steal getting caught several times.
Lexington started hitting the ball in the bottom of the sixth inning. A walk and two singles led to Post 7 tying the game at three heading into the seventh inning.
Base running blunders continued to hurt Fort Mill. Caropreso led the inning off with a single, but was caught trying to stretch it into extra bases.
Lexington threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but Fort Mill was able to force extra innings.
Post 43 starter Zach Young would come out after seven innings as he went seven innings allowing three runs on five hits, while walking four and striking out three. Grey Kneidel came in for an inning in the eighth to get the save and allowed two hits and a walk, but Fort Mill was able to get out of trouble to hold on for the win.
At the plate, Diehl led going 3-4 with two RBIs. Scott went 1-3 with two RBIs and James Carlin went 2-4 with an RBI.
In other games on day two of the Junior state tournament, Florence eliminated Blythewood 12-2, Socastee eliminated Camden 6-5, and Richland beat North Augusta 4-1.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
