ROCK HILL – A late inning rally gave Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors a much needed win over Rock Hill Post 34.
Fort Mill picked up in 8-6 victory to improve to 6-4 in League IV play and 8-9 overall.
Post 43 went up early in the first inning. Both Josh Patterson and Alex Smith each singled and James Knoll walked to load the bases with one out.
Simon Fernandez then singled driving in both Patterson and Smith. Michael Rogers drove in Knoll on a sacrifice fly giving Fort Mill an early 3-0 lead after the top half of the first.
Rock Hill got back in the game going back-to-back with home runs for their first two batters of the game off Post 43 starter Ben Chuttey. Chuttey would find a groove and got out of the inning with no more damage done.
After nothing for Fort Mill in the second inning, Rock Hill hit a two out double tying the game at three.
Post 43 struggled offensively to duplicate anything from the first inning. In the bottom of the third, three walks led to Chuttey being replaced on the mound by Kody Romero with one out. Romero was able to get out of the inning without allowing Rock Hill to score keeping the game tied at three.
Post 34 threatened in the fourth, but Fort Mill was able to keep things from falling apart.
Post 43 struggled to get base runners consistently. Knoll got hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, but was picked off later in the inning.
Rock Hill got the first two runners on base to start the bottom of the sixth inning, when Romero was replaced by Britton Nash. A walk loaded the bases for Post 34. Then a wild pitch put Rock Hill up 4-3, before adding two more runs, one of which had the help of a Fort Mill error.
Post 43 rallied in the top of the seventh as they score five runs to regain the lead.
Nash singled and made it to third on a Rock Hill error to start things off for Fort Mill. TJ McCluney walked to put runners on the corners. Patterson drove in Nash on a ground out to pull within two at 6-4.
Smith walked as well to again put runners on the corners for Post 43 and Andrew Craddock walked to load the bases with two outs. Knoll came up big with a two run double to tie the game.
Fernandez then singled scoring two runs and putting Post 43 back on top 8-6. Fort Mill kept things moving as Rogers walked before a pitching change for Rock Hill.
Things rotated back to the top of the order as Nash was hit by a pitch to load the bases, however, that was all Post 43 could muster heading to the bottom of the seventh with a two-run lead.
Nash would come in and shut the door for Post 43 to get the win. He went two innings allowing one run on one hit, while walking one and striking out one.
Fernandez went 2-4 with four RBIs and Knoll went 1-2 with two RBIs to lead Post 43 at the plate.
Fort Mill returns to Rock Hill on Monday, July 14th for the final game in the series with Post 34.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
