The Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors stayed alive in the state tournament with a win over Aiken in an elimination game.
Fort Mill won 11-1 and will now head to Riley Park in Sumter for their next game.
Post 43 started the game off with an error on the second batter of the game. The error didn’t hurt as Fort Mill was able to get out of the inning without giving up a run.
Brayden Grogan doubled for Post 43 in the bottom of the inning, but that’s all they were able to muster offensively.
Aiken for a hit in the second inning, but then hit into a double play.
In the second inning, Eli Cheske led the inning off with a single followed by a single from Ashton Mayo and a double from Matthew Scott scoring two. Blake Chatman singled and Steven Coppola singled to push Post 43 to a 4-0 lead. Max Dunlap and Jackson Carroll singled as he drove two more runs in.
Fort Mill batted around as Cheske drove in Carroll on a sacrifice fly. Mayo doubled in Boston, who walked earlier in the inning. Scott was then hit by a pitch leading to another pitching change before Aiken got out of the inning as Post 43 led 8-0.
Aiken picked up a run in the top of the third off a hit. Fort Mill went down in order in the bottom half.
In the top of the fourth, Aiken led the inning off with two walks leading to Carter Czapla coming to the mound. Mayo went three innings allowing one run on two hits, while walking three. Czapla would get out of the inning without allowing a run and strike out two in the inning.
Post 43 added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Czapla singled and Scott walked before a double by Chatman to score them both. Grogan then singled in Chatman to make it 11-1 and ensured the 10-run rule.
Chatman, Grogan and Mayo each had two hits for Fort Mill. Scott, Coppola and Chatman each had two RBI.
Czapla went the final two innings without allowing a hit, run or walk and struck out three.
Fort Mill improved to 12-5 overall and will play tournament host Sumter in another elimination bracket game.
Post 43 Seniors 11, Anderson Post 14 1
The Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors opened their second-round American Legion playoff series with Anderson Post 14 in convincing fashion winning 11-1.
The two teams split games in the regular season with each team winning on the road.
Anderson got one base runner in the top of the first off Post 43 starter Emerson Rhodes, but couldn’t capitalize.
TJ McCluney and Jack Shelnutt both singled to start Fort Mill’s half of the inning. Three consecutive errors by Anderson allowed runs to score on each play. Lawson Smith singled in another run and then scored on another Post 14 error putting the home team up 5-0 at the end of the first inning.
Anderson picked up their first hit of the game in the second inning. Another hit and a walk loaded the bases with one out.
Rhodes came back with consecutive strikeouts to get out of the inning.
McCluney walked in the bottom of the second, but was caught trying to steal. Both Alex Blanchette and Shelnutt singled, but neither would score as Fort Mill was unable to get them in as Post 43 held a 5-0 lead.
Anderson again threatened in the top of the third, but Rhodes got out of the jam.
Carroll and Smith walked to start the bottom half of the third. Jackson Bendis hit a one out single scoring both Carroll and Smith. Shelnutt, Blanchette and Solnick all walked scoring another run for Post 43. Anderson changed pitchers and Knoll singled to make it 9-0 in Fort Mill‘s favor before Post 14 was able to get out of the inning.
Anderson was able to score a run in the top of the fourth inning off a couple of singles.
In the fifth, Shelnutt singled and both Blanchette and Solnick walked to load the bases with one out before another pitching change by Anderson. Knoll drew a walk scoring Shelnutt and a passed ball scored Blanchette to enforce the 10-run rule.
Rhodes pitched a complete game allowing one run on six hits. Shelnutt went 3-3 to lead Fort Mill as both Knoll and Carroll each had two RBIs.
Post 43 heads to Anderson for game two in the series on Thursday, July 19.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
