The Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors clinched the Piedmont League title taking the series over York Post 66.
Post 43 beat York 9-3 to take the season series two games to one and improved to 9-2 on the season.
Playing their first game in over a week, since they lost to York in their last game on June 17, Fort Mill hosted Post 66 for the first time this season.
Post 43 starter Ashton Mayo got York to go down in order to open the game. In the bottom of the inning, Max Dunlap and Mayo singled as Dunlap would score to put Fort Mill up 1-0.
York picked up a base runner off a hit, but he was left stranded to end that half of the second inning. Christian Boston and James Gandolfi both reached on errors in the second inning, but neither was able to score for Post 43.
York loaded the bases in the top of the third inning off a walk and two hits. Post 43 got a much needed double play to get out of the inning without allowing a run.
The bottom of the inning saw Dunlap reach on an error and Mayo get hit by a pitch. Brayden Grogan drove in Jackson Carroll, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Matthew Scott pushed Grogan to third, who would score on a passed ball before the end of the inning to put Fort Mill up 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Dunlap came in to start the inning. Mayo went three innings allowing no runs on three hits, while walking one and striking out five. York led the inning off with a single. That hitter would eventually come around to score on an error.
Post 43 got the run back in the bottom of the inning as Micah Ashworth, Gandolfi, and Eli Cheske all reached base on singles. Cheske drove in Ashworth and Dunlap drove in Gandolfi on a sacrifice. Mayo was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and Cheske scored on a wild pitch. Grogan walked and Scott doubled in both Mayo and Grogan pushing the score to 8-1.
In the top of the fifth, York threatened again getting a runner to third base, but again failed to score. Ashworth reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Cheske.
Fort Mill put two on in the sixth inning with Scott hitting a single and Boston walking. However, Post 43 was unable to get any extra runs heading to the top of the seventh.
York added two more runs in the top of the seventh off a couple hits, but wasn’t ever able to really threaten Fort Mill’s lead.
Scott went 3-4 with two RBI in the game to lead Post 43 at the plate. Cheske also had two RBI in the game. Dunlap finished the game going four innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Fort Mill plays again next Wednesday, July 1 at Rock Hill to finish the regular season.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
