Earlier this week, the Nation Ford softball beat Fort Mill for the first time in nearly seven years. Fort Mill made sure Thursday that wasn’t going to happen again.
Fort Mill won in their eighth inning on a walk off single from Ashley Kirby scoring Elise Nordgren to give the Jackets an 8-7 win.
“Being a rivalry game, that is a little different,” said Fort Mill head coach Will Jameson. “That is big. They broke the streak, but we came back and hopefully we started a new one. We have to start finishing games. This past week, I think we are doing better. All the girls are starting to do some things from the top to the bottom of the lineup.”
The game was a back-and-forth tussle as Fort Mill led the majority of the way, but Nation Ford tied the game at 8-8 with four runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Fort Mill went up early 3-0 through two innings, but Nation Ford scored two in the top of the fourth to claw their way back into the game.
Both teams hit the ball well, but it was Fort Mill that collected 12 hits in the game and was led by pitcher El DesErmia, who went 3-4 with three RBIs. DesErmia had a big hit in the bottom of the sixth to again put the Jackets lead to 7-3 at that point, but in the seventh Fort Mill struggled. DesErmia pitched a complete game for Fort Mill allowing seven runs on nine hits, while walking five and striking out four.
In the top of the seventh, Emma Skovran singled to start things off for the Falcons. Ava Scheier also singled and Kailey Alston would drive two in to start the rally for Nation Ford. Alston went 3-4 for the Falcons with the two RBIs. Alaina Holifield then would double to tie the game at 7-7.
“I am proud of this group and how they fight back and don’t quit,” said Nation Ford head coach Craig Brown. “But we have got to get more consistent. We have to figure some things out. Kailey pitched a good game. If we make some plays, we get them in seven.”
Also getting hits and RBIs for Nation Ford was Jackie Knol, as she drove in a run in the top of the sixth to inch the Falcons closer before the seventh inning rally.
Besides DesErmia, Kirby went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and Gracyn Hagler went 2-4 with an RBI as well for Fort Mill.
The win puts Fort Mill at 10-5 overall on the season and 3-4 in Region 3-5A, while the loss drops Nation Ford to 5-8 overall and 3-3 in region play
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
