Fort Mill Post 43’s Kolby Crepeau lines a ball during game one of the team’s doubleheader against Rock Hill Post 34, where they swept their rivals.

LANCASTER – For the third consecutive year, Fort Mill Post 43 won their league title and did so by sweeping Rock Hill Post 34 in a doubleheader Monday night.

Fort Mill won the American League Summer Baseball Upper State league title in their three-team league over Rock Hill Post 34 and Lancaster Post 31. The other Upper State league, kind of like an SEC East and SEC West, consist of Greer, Simpsonville, Easley and Inman. Greer currently leads the other Upper State league. Both Fort Mill and Greer will square off Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Segra Park in a match-up of last year’s state championship game. To get tickets for that game go to, https://www.firefliestickets.com/web/event/662/fort-mill-vs-greer-07-21-2020/

Post 43 won their league title sweeping Rock Hill 8-5 and 14-2 in a doubleheader at Harvey Eggleton Field in Lancaster Monday night. Both Rock Hill and Fort Mill have shared Lancaster’s field this season with them due to their respective school districts not making fields because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To win the region for the third consecutive year is a testament to how hard our players and coaching staff have worked all season,” said Post 43 head coach Tom Skula. “I am very delighted to see how our program continues to grow and attract interest from Fort Mill area players. Each team in our league is well coached and has very talented players. Night in and night out is a battle in conference play. We have to continue to keep on the gas and use these upcoming games to work on getting ready for the playoffs. We accomplished our first goal in winning the league and getting the No. 1 seed. We know as a program from the past years how big of an advantage it is to be that No. 1 seed.”

Fort Mill improved to 6-1 in league play and 7-2 overall. Post 43 has one more league game Friday against Lancaster.

Game one was a lot closer than game two as Fort Mill had to rally in the fifth inning scoring three runs on three hits with the help of a two RBI double by Chase Dougherty to give Post 43 the go-ahead run. Fort Mill scored eight runs on eight hits in the game and came back from being down 5-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, Fort Mill got things started with a single from Patrick Matthews, who went 2-4 in the game. His hit was followed by a single from Xavier Cumbee, who went 2-3 in the game, before Dougherty knocked them both in. Dougherty went 1-3 with three RBI in game one.

Fort Mill added two runs on two hits in the sixth inning as Cumbee scored on a wild pitch and Dougherty drove in Gabe Simmons the easy way on a bases-loaded walk.

Kyle Raynor got the win on the mound throwing two and a third innings of hitless baseball for Fort Mill, while allowing just one walk and striking out five. Mikey Tepper, making his first appearance of the season, got the save for Post 43 throwing one inning and allowing two hits, while striking out three.

In game two, Fort Mill started off hot offensively and never let up.  Post 43 scored 14 runs on 13 hits and took an early 9-0 lead. Matthews and Cumbee each had two hits and two RBI. Kolby Crepeau went 3-4 with two RBI and Connor Rasmussen went 2-3 with two RBI in the game. Crepeau and Aaron Pendergast, who went 2-2, each had home runs for Post 43.

Fort Mill score two runs in the first inning and then added four more in the second inning on four hits, to go up 6-0. Pendergast led off the third inning with a solo home run and Post 43 would put up two more runs in the inning to go up 9-0.

Rock Hill added two runs in the top of the fourth off Blake Sherrill, who got the win in game two, going four innings and allowing five hits and two runs while striking out five and walking two batters.

Post 43 exploded for five runs on four hits in the fifth inning to blow the game open and saw back-to-back doubles from Matthews and Cumbee before Crepeau’s two-run home run.

Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep