DUNCAN – The Fort Mill softball team was swept out of the 5A Upper State championship with a 3-2 loss to the Byrnes Rebels Wednesday.
The score was identical to the one Monday night when Fort Mill dropped game one at home. And just like in game one, a late inning rally was not enough to bring Fort Mill back.
With the win, Byrnes improves to 30-1 on the season and will take on either Ashley Ridge or Berkeley in the 5A state finals next week. The Lower State final between those two schools will have a game three played Friday. Fort Mill ends their season with a 17-6 record.
Byrnes struck first in game two as they scored in the bottom of the third on a squeeze bunt, but Fort Mill came back in the top of the fourth and tied the game at 1-1 with an Ally Hall solo home run.
The Rebels reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth scoring two runs off hits by Molly Mattas and Tiara Pearson.
In the seventh, Fort Mill didn’t go down without a fight as they scored a run on a single by Olivia Poteat driving in Emma Tisdale. Fort Mill managed just six hits in the game and made two errors in the loss. Hall went 2-2 to lead the Jackets at the plate and Ava Balsinger, Sydnie Spears, Trinity Wall and Poteat all got hits for Fort Mill.
In the circle for Fort Mill, Maddie Drerup pitched six innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five and walking three. She kept the game tight and twice got out of bases loaded jams for Fort Mill without giving up a run in the first and second innings.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
