In their toughest challenge of the season so far, the Fort Mill Post 43 junior legion team scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to rally past Chester Post 27 for a win Tuesday night.
Killion Bennett hit a two out ball to the shortstop that misplayed it allowing two runs to score and give Post 43 an 8-7 win to improve them to 5-0 on the season. Post 43 was missing nine players, but had other players step up to perform well in game two of the three game series.
“The guys fought hard and did their jobs,” said Post 43 junior head coach Michael Lewis. “We got a lot of our short game down to come up big. I am really proud of how they fought.”
In the eighth, Thomas Ealey reached on an error by Chester to lead the inning off and Avery Childs would single to set up Bennett. For most of the game, Post 43 had been trailing Chester. Fort Mill took a 1-0 lead after one inning as Brennan Helms, who went 1-5, drove in Connor Griffin.
Chester would then take a 2-1 lead in the second and go up 6-1 after two and a half innings. Post 43 added two runs in the third inning as Griffin would single driving in Carter Cox, who reached earlier in the inning on a double. Daniel Shames would also score a run after the second of four Chester errors in the game.
Post 43 cut the game to 6-5 in the fifth and then tied it at 6-6 in the seventh after a two-out single by Miles Baker that scored Aiden Cattarin.
On the mound, Chester got to Cox early in the game, but Ethan Lambert would come in and throw five innings in relief keeping Post 43 in the game allowing six hits, but no runs on four strikeouts.
“Ethan came in and threw really well,” Lewis said.
Childs got the win on the mound pitching one inning in the top of the eighth and allowed one run on one hit. He also led Post 43 at the plate going 2-4 with an RBI.
Post 43 will finish the season series on the road at Chester Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Seniors make quick work of Chester
Fort Mill Post 43 seniors destroyed Chester Post 27 to improve to 4-0 on the season with a 17-1 win. Jacob Boyna went four innings to get the win allowing just two hits and a run. He was aided by a hot start from Fort Mill, who scored five runs in the first inning and then scored 11 runs in the fifth inning.
Post 43 had 11 hits as Patrick Matthews went 3-5 with an RBI. Aaron Pendergast went 1-2 with three RBI and Gabe Simmons, Justin Lehman, Harrison Wilson and Dusty Sanderlin all had two RBI as well in the win.
Post 43 finishes the season series Thursday night at home at Fort Mill High with game three starting at 7:30 p.m.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
