ROCK HILL – A walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh gave the Catawba Ridge Copperheads a win at Founders Field at Winthrop University.
Freshman Jack Provenzano hit a one-out single with two runners on base to give the Copperheads a 2-1 win over Lugoff-Elgin Demons. Catawba Ridge is 14-7-1 overall now and will play at Lugoff-Elgin on April 22.
“I wanted to play a semi-home game without being at home and give the kids an experience of playing here,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Stas Swerdzewski, who is also a Winthrop alumnus. “We are struggling a little on the offensive side. We are pitching well. We are giving guys opportunities. We are trying to figure out who is going to be hot at the end of the year.”
Lugoff-Elgin got a run on in the top of the first from a walk, but the Demons left him stranded at third to end their half of the inning.
Jack Shelnutt reached base on an error for the Copperheads in the bottom of the first, but that was all Catawba Ridge could do as they failed to drive him in.
After a 1-2-3 inning by the Demons in the top of the second, the Copperheads’ Sam Schwamb led the bottom half off with a triple. Pinch runner Owen Ostrander scored on a groundout by Britton Nash to give Catawba Ridge a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third, a Copperheads’ throwing error allowed one Lugoff player to reach base with two out, but Catawba Ridge starter Caden Glauber was able to secure the next out easily.
In the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back two-out singles by Schwamb and Nash got two on for the Copperheads. However, Catawba Ridge struggled with getting hits with runners in scoring position and again failed to get them in.
The Demons got two on base to start the fifth inning off a walk and their first hit of the game. Glauber regrouped and got three consecutive pop-outs to get out of the jam.
Catawba Ridge again got a runner on base in the bottom of the inning, but failed to get anyone across.
The Demons got a double in the top of the sixth, but Glauber kept them from getting a run across.
After Catawba Ridge couldn’t get a runner on in the sixth, Lugoff got two runners on with two outs in the top of the seventh.
That led to Glauber coming out and Nash coming in. A single then tied the game at 1-1 for the Demons before sending the game to the bottom of the seventh.
Glauber would go six and two thirds allowing one run on three hits, while striking out 10 and walking three. Nash allowed just one hit in one third of an inning.
Nash opened the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single. Ostrander came in to pinch run for Nash and would be pushed to second by Zach Boutwell’s single. Causey would lay down a sacrifice bunt moving the runners over.
Schwamb and Nash each had two hits in the game to lead the Copperheads at the plate.
April 21 Roundup
The Nation Ford Falcons baseball team opened the Rescue Lock and Key Invitational with an 11-1 win over Parkwood to improve to 11-10 on the season. Ryan Dyer pitched six innings allowing one run on three hits. Alex Smith and Connor Fowler each got two hits for Nation Ford.
The Fort Mill baseball team beat the Proctor Raiders down at Myrtle Beach 5-1 to open their spring break games. Fort Mill is now 16-4 overall on the season. Carter Blankinship went 2-3 with two RBIs and John Risk went 2-2 as well with an RBI.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
