In the last two games, the Nation Ford Falcons baseball team has solidified their offense and their place in the Region 3-5A race.
Over that period, the Falcons have put up 30 runs and 30 hits, while on the opposite end of things Fort Mill has struggled in multiple ways making nine errors and collecting only three hits in those two games. On Friday, Nation Ford beat Fort Mill to 15-2 to take the season series 2-1 over the Jackets. Fort Mill made five errors in the game and only had two hits.
The Falcons are now 5-8 overall on the season and more importantly 4-2 in the region. Nation Ford head coach Michael Lewis said he isn’t sure what team he will have when the games start.
“We are Jekyll and Hyde,” he said. “We have no idea what is coming. I am proud of everybody.”
In Friday’s game, Nation Ford starter Seth Hanson got the win going five innings and allowing two runs on two hits, while striking out seven and walking three. Lewis said that Hanson pitched great.
Hanson was aided with 14 hits in the game from the Falcons as Jacob Pettit led the way going 3-4 with four RBI. Avery Childs went 2-4 with three RBI, Bradyn Deaton went 2-3 with an RBI, and Paul Solari went 2-3 as well to lead Nation Ford.
Fort Mill struck first scoring a run in the bottom of the first as Connor Rasmussen doubled to get the first of two hits for the Jackets. He would later score on an error by the Falcons to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Nation Ford came alive and picked up where they left off in game two Wednesday night as they scored three runs on two hits. The Falcons continued their hot hitting with two more runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and then seven in the sixth inning.
In the fourth inning for Nation Ford, Luke Keller and Gabe Simmons each had RBI singles. The fifth inning saw the Falcons score three runs on three hits and then in the sixth they scored seven runs on six hits.
Lewis said he knows his team has to keep playing like this when they face region opponents Clover and Boiling Springs in the coming weeks, both of which will be key in playoff seeding for Nation Ford.
“We know we have got tough games left,” he said.
For the Jackets, they next face Northwestern in non-region action in a two-game series next week and head coach Travis Collier said it will take leadership to turn things around.
“We need people to step up,” he said.
Fort Mill will face Northwestern on the road next Tuesday, while Nation Ford opens their three-game series against Clover Monday at home.
In other games…
The Catawba Ridge baseball team fell 3-2 to Lancaster Friday night to drop to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in Region 3-4A.
The Catawba Ridge girls’ soccer team shutout York 6-0 to improve to 10-2 overall on the season and 6-0 in Region 3-4A play inching closer to a region title. Scoring for the Copperheads were Alexa Dubrow (2), Sarah Sexton, Sadie Commerford, Keelyn Feneis, and Nora Pampreen.
After the first day of the two-day Fleischer Invitational at the Rock Hill County Club, Nation Ford is third with a 318, Catawba Ridge is fourth with a 334 and Fort Mill is fifth with a 340.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
