With a sweep of a doubleheader against Lancaster, the Fort Mill Post 43 juniors are tied for the League III lead with Rock Hill.
The two teams are both 8-3 and will play for the league title at Catawba Ridge High School Thursday, June 29.
Fort Mill swept Lancaster winning 9-2 and 5-1 at Catawba Ridge during a Wednesday doubleheader. In game one, Post 43 struck early going up 4-0 after the first inning. Fort Mill had 11 hits in the first game and was led by Zach Boutwell and Brayden Hampton at the plate. Boutwell went 2-2 with two RBIs and Hampton went 2-3 with three RBIs.
In the bottom of the first inning, Hampton drove in Justin Brink who singled to start things off. A Lancaster error allowed another Post 43 run and a double by Boutwell scoring Hampton and James Knoll.
Fort Mill added a run in the third inning off a single from Zach Young scoring Boutwell. Post 43 would then have another big inning scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth to open the game up.
In the bottom of the fourth, Hampton would double scoring both Brink and Kade Balsinger. Pitcher Preston Schmitz would then knock in a run on a groundout, and then Alex Downes would drive in a run on a single scoring Knoll.
Schmitz would get the start for Post 43 and cruise for the first four innings before running into some trouble in the fifth. He got the win allowing two runs on five hits, while walking three and striking out five. Braydon Player would throw one inning allowing a walk to close the first game out.
Post 43 was just as strong in game two again setting the tone early by scoring two first inning runs.
Boutwell threw a three-hitter allowing just one run in the complete game on the mound for Fort Mill.
Fort Mill had just four hits but capitalized on them when they could. Knoll and Brink each went 1-2 with and RBI and Schmitz went 1-1 with an RBI.
In the bottom of the first, Knoll singled to knock in the first Post 43 run scoring Balsinger. Schmitz would then single to score courtesy runner Michael Carporeso.
In the second inning, Young would double to start the inning and Brink would drive him in two batters later to put Fort Mill up 3-0.
Lancaster scored their only run in the game in the top of the fourth, but Fort Mill picked up two insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. An error scored two runs for Post 43 in the inning allowing them to add to their total.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
