Energized by three home runs, Fort Mill Post 43 beat Rock Hill Post 34 for the second consecutive game Thursday night.
Fort Mill won 14-6 and improved to 4-3 overall on the season and 3-3 in League IV, one game back from Rock Hill. Post 43 scattered 13 hits in the game and scored in every inning but one.
Odds were on Post 43’s side as Eli Craddock homered on the first pitch of the bottom half of the first from Rock Hill to give Fort Mill and early 1-0 lead. Craddock would go 2-4 with two RBIs in the game.
Rock Hill scored two in the second inning, but Fort Mill came back with three in the second inning and then three more in the third inning. Singles by Zach Jennings and Sam Czyz started the second inning and a sacrifice by Hunter Busque tied the game at 2-2. Consecutive singles by Craddock and Nico Bartolotti led Fort Mill to grab a two-run lead.
In the third inning, Scott Young doubled to open the bottom half of play and Czyz walked leading to a three-run home run by Jonathan Barschow to make it 7-2 for Post 43.
Each team scored a run in the fourth and Rock Hill would pull within two at 8-6 through the top of the sixth inning. However, in the bottom of the sixth, Post 43 again made things happen with their bats scoring six runs on five hits.
Bartolotti and Gabe Simmons singled to start things and Czyz singled knocking those two in. Barschow doubled and Busque would hit a home run to left field giving Post 43 a 14-6 lead. Czyz went 2-2 with two RBIs and Barschow went 2-2 with five RBIs. Busque would go 1-2 with three RBIs in the game.
On the mound, Jaeger Pankowski got the job done going four and a third innings allowing four runs on eight hits. He also fanned one and walked three, but came away with the win. Blake Sanders added an inning and two thirds allowing two runs on two hits and Seth Hanson closed it out throwing an inning while striking out two.
Fort Mill plays Cherryville Friday hosting the NC-SC Challenge at 7:30 p.m. Florence will open the three-day event at Fort Mill High playing Cherryville at 5 p.m. before the Post 43 game.
Juniors fall to Rock Hill
The Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors fell 8-2 to Rock Hill Thursday night on the road dropping them to 4-2 overall this season.
Rock Hill got off to a hot start and scored in five of six innings, while Post 43 managed just two hits coming off the bats of Kade Balsinger and Cole Stukitz.
Fort Mill opens a series next Tuesday at home against Lancaster Post 31.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
