ANDERSON – Despite a 70-minute weather delay, Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors weren’t affected and swept Anderson Post 14 to get back to the state tournament.
Fort Mill won 11-0 off a strong performance on the mound from Anthony Marano, who tossed a two hitter.
Alex Blanchette’s double for Post 43 was their only hit in the top of the first, as he was left stranded on second to end the inning.
Marano started strong striking out two of the first three batters in the first inning to face the minimum.
James Knoll and Jackson Carroll both singled in the second inning. JT Leonhardt drove in Knoll on a sacrifice fly giving Post 43 an early lead. Jackson Bendis walked and the TJ McCluney drove in courtesy runner James Carlin. Jack Shelnutt doubled in McCluney and Bendis. Blanchette then hit a two-run home run to push the score to 6-0.
After the initial surge, Fort Mill struggled to replicate the second inning offensively.
Knoll led the top of the third off with a double, but Fort Mill failed to get him in.
Leonhardt reached first on an error in the top of the fourth, but again Post 43 left him on the base paths.
Marano continued to cruise through four innings for Fort Mill.
In the fifth inning, Blanchette singled and Ethan Solnick walked opening things up for Post 43 with no outs. Knoll then walked to load the bases and Carroll sacrificed in Blanchette. Smith reached on an error allowing Solnick to score. A second consecutive error scored a run for Fort Mill.
Bendis singled driving in both Smith and Leonhardt to make it 11-0.
Anderson got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth breaking up Mariano’s perfect game. A second hit put runners at the corners, but Marano would rally and get the third out.
He would go five innings allowing just the two hits without giving up a walk and striking out 10.
Blanchette went 3-3 with a home run and two RBI to lead at the plate. Leonhardt, Bendis, and Shelnutt each had two RBI as well.
Fort Mill will open the state tournament next week against an opponent to be determined.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
