The Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors team split a doubleheader with Lancaster Post 31 in a battle for superiority in the league.
Fort Mill took game one of the doubleheader to even the series at 1-1 winning 11-1, but dropped the nightcap falling 6-3. The loss puts Post 43 Juniors at 3-2 on the season.
Declan Errett pitched a complete game in the first game going five innings allowing one run on six hits, while walking two and striking out six. Fort Mill aided him by a seven run fifth inning to close the game out.
The game was scoreless through three innings until Post 43 was able to score four runs in the bottom of the fourth and grab the lead all with two outs.
Luke Zeppelin got things started with a single. Devon Pascarella walked and Eli Cheske drove in Zeppelin to put Fort Mill on the board. Errett was hit by a pitch and Post 43 scored three runs on an error by Lancaster to put them up 4-0.
Lancaster got one back in the top of the fifth, but Fort Mill again used a strong offense in the bottom part of the inning to put the game away. Post 31 made four errors in the game to help the Post 43 cause.
In the bottom of the fifth, Eli Wilson singled with one out and Jackson Carroll singled to drive him in. Grey Kneidel doubled scoring courtesy runner Connor Fowler and an error put Zeppelin on base and scored Kneidel. Pascarella, Errett, and Brayden Grogan all singled in the inning as Post 43 closed out the game.
Grogan drove in two runs going 1-2, as Cheske, Carroll, Kneidel, and Pascarella all had RBIs in the game.
In game two, Fort Mill started off strong again, but had a bad fourth inning where Lancaster scored all six of their runs to get the 6-3 win. In the first inning, Kneidel singled and Errett, who walked earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch.
After a scoreless second and third inning, Lancaster used four walks by Post 43 and a couple of hits to score six runs and go up 6-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fort Mill got a run back as Grogan and Wilson both singled to start Post 43’s half of the inning. An error allowed Carroll, courtesy running for Grogan, to score.
Fort Mill closed the gap even more in the fifth inning with another run, but couldn’t keep the rally going. Kneidel scored that run on a balk after he walked to get on base.
Post 43 only managed three hits in game two with Kneidel, Grogan and Wilson getting hits. Zeppelin had the only RBI in the game.
Fort Mill opens a three-game series next week against Rock Hill and will play four games in four days, playing a game against York Post 66 as well.
June 19 Roundup
The Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors improved to 4-4 on the season and 3-2 in league play after Cooper Mitchell threw a complete game two hitter and struck out 12 Lancaster Post 31 batters in Post 43’s 2-0 win. Jacob Pettit went 1-4 and drove in both runs for Fort Mill.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
