INMAN – For the second straight year, the Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors punched their ticket to the state tournament.
Post 43 beat Inman Post 45 4-1 in game three of their best-of-three second round series and will open the state tournament Saturday in Greenwood.
Fort Mill had another dominate pitching performance, this time by Zach Boutwell, who pitched a complete game and allowed just one run on four hits and while walking three and striking out one.
Post 43 opened the game up with a big first inning scoring three runs on four hits to go up 3-0. Both Bradyn Deaton and Alex Smith had two hits to lead Fort Mill.
“Alex has a simple swing and gets it done,” said Post 43 Juniors head coach Michael Lewis.
Deaton got things started in the first inning with a single and Aiden Cattarin reached on an error, before Killion Bennett would drive in Deaton on an RBI single and Smith would drive in Cattarin on an RBI double. Justin Brink would also single in the top of the first as well.
Inman would threaten a couple of times throughout the game, but managed to score their only run in the second inning off an RBI single. Boutwell would allow just one hit per inning through the first four innings, but didn’t give up a hit in the final three innings of work.
“There is a reason we gave him the baseball,” Lewis said.
Fort Mill would add a run in the fifth on two hits. Reid Kazmierczak started the inning off with a single and then Cattarin would drive him in on an RBI single two batters later.
Smith would get his second hit of the game in the sixth and Deaton would get his second hit of the game, a triple, in the seventh.
With the win, Post 43 improves to 12-5 overall and will play Saturday at a time to be determined in the state tournament.
Seniors fall hard as Lexington forces a game three
The Fort Mill Post 43 seniors fell to Lexington Post 7 17-7 in game two of their second round series forcing a game three Thursday in Lexington.
Post 43 jumped out to a 5-0 start in the first inning, but had to sit through a rain delay, which derailed any momentum they had.
Lexington outscored Fort Mill 17-2 through the final four innings and scattered 14 hits in the game. Post 43 again struggled with pitching again and walked six batters as they used four pitchers. Greyson Wild got the loss on the mound.
Trevor Testerman led Post 43 who managed five hits in going 2-4 with an RBI. Alex Steckler went 1-3 with an RBI and Scott Young went 1-2 with an RBI.
Post 43 will play game three at Lexington High School and will need a win to make it to the state tournament and keep their season alive.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
