A one out error in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed Fort Mill Post 43 to take game one in their series against Rock Hill Post 34.
Fort Mill won 4-3 to improve to 7-4 on the season. Game two is in Rock Hill on Tuesday, June 30.
A scoreless top of the first led to Fort Mill getting leadoff hitter TJ McCluney walking to get on base. Cooper Diehl would drive in McCluney with two outs to put Post 43 up early 1-0.
Ethan Solnick walked in the second for Fort Mill, but that was the only base runner for the home team in the inning.
Rock Hill for their first base runner of the game with a hit in the third inning. Post 34 tied the game after a passed ball and an infield hit.
In the bottom of the third inning, McCluney was hit by a pitch. He wasn’t able to score leaving the game tied at one.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Jackson Carroll reached on an error for Fort Mill. Solnick and Lawson Smith both singled to load the bases. However, Post 43 was unable to score a run.
Rock Hill threatened in the top of the fifth. A walk and a double got two men on base with two outs, putting some pressure on Fort Mill. Again Post 43 starter Bryce Meil was able to get out of the jam without allowing a run.
In the sixth inning, Meil was replaced on the mound by Caden Stevens. Meil went five innings allowing one run on four hits, while walking four and striking out five.
Consecutive singles by Rock Hill put them ahead at 2-1 before Fort Mill was able to get out of the inning.
Jack Shelnutt led the bottom of the sixth inning off with a double. Carroll then doubled in Shelnutt to tie the game at two. Smith tripled scoring Jackson Bendis putting Post 43 ahead 3-2.
Rock Hill had a base runner reach on an error in the top of the seventh. They would score before the end of the inning to again tie the game.
Walks to Diehl and Shelnutt with two outs set up a single by JT Leonhardt to load the bases for Fort Mill before a pitching change by Rock Hill. However again Post 43 failed to capitalize sending the game to extra innings.
Grey Kneidel took the mound in the top of the eighth inning for Post 43. Stevens went two innings allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out three.
In the bottom of the eighth, Solnick walked and Smith hit an infield single to put runners on for Fort Mill.
Kneidel got the win on the mound going one inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one.
At the plate, Smith went 3-4 with an RBI to lead the eight hits from Fort Mill. Carroll, Diehl, and Shelnutt also had one RBI each.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
