The Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors Legion baseball team split a doubleheader against Chesnee Post 48 dropping their first game of the season.
Fort Mill is now 4-1 on the year and will head to Chesnee on Wednesday, June 10.
In game one, Fort Mill dropped their first game of the season falling 8-2.
Blake Chatman got the start for Post 43 in game one. Chesnee got the bases loaded with two outs, but Fort Mill was able to get them out of the inning without allowing a run.
In the bottom of the first inning, Max Dunlap singled and Carter Czapla would drive him in.
Chesnee scored a run off a couple of hits in the top of the second inning.
Fort Mill struggled to get any hits. They made contact but hit it at people. Chesnee on the other hand continued to hit the ball and scored two runs in the fourth to go up 5-1 before a pitching change.
Eli Cheske came in to pitch in the fourth. Chatman would go three and two thirds allowing seven runs on nine hits, while walking three and striking out three.
Post 48 continued to hit scoring a total of five runs on five hits in the inning to go up 8-1.
Fort Mill didn’t go quietly adding a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Dunlap doubled to start. Brandon Dobson singled and Czapla would drive in another Post 43 run. Czapla went 3-3 with two RBI for Fort Mill to lead the team at the plate. Dunlap went 2-3 at the plate.
Post 43 rallied in game two picking up a 4-2 win.
Dunlap got the start in game two. He walked one but didn’t give up a run to start things off in the first inning.
Fort Mill drew a walk in the bottom of the first for Czapla, who was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Post 43 threatened in the bottom of the second as Roman Ricci walked and Steven Coppola singled to put two on, but neither scored for Fort Mill.
Chesnee also threatened in the top of the third getting a runner on, but the Fort Mill defense held strong and kept them from scoring.
Post 43 started the bottom of the inning off with walks to Dunlap, Chatman, and Czapla to load the bases.
Carroll and Matthew Scott would each drive-in runs on sacrifices to put Fort Mill up 2-0.
Ricci took the mound in the fourth inning as Dunlap would go three innings allowing no runs on no hits, while walking three and striking out one.
Post 48 got consecutive singles in the top of the fourth for their first hits of game two. A two-out, two-run double then tied the game at two.
In the bottom of the inning, both Coppola and Cheske walked. Dunlap drove in Coppola on a sacrifice and Cheske scored on the same play on an error throw.
Coppola came in the top of the fifth to wrap the game up, but not before Chesnee threatened putting two runners on after an error and a single.
Fort Mill got just two hits in the second game and gave up four hits. Both Coppola and Carroll had base hits for Post 43. Ricci got the win on the mound going an inning and allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out one. Coppola got the same and allowed a hit and struck one out to end the game.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
