LANCASTER – Timely hitting and strong relief pitching allowed Fort Mill Post 43 Juniors to beat Lancaster Post 31 Wednesday night 11-7 and stay perfect on the season.
The game was a rescheduled game from Tuesday’s postponed rain out as Post 43 improves to 8-0 on the season. Fort Mill had 11 hits, but used an eight-run second inning to jump start their offense.
Lancaster scored in the bottom of the first to go up 1-0, but never led again despite threatening and staying within striking distance the entire game. Carter Cox got the start for Fort Mill, but Lancaster got to him after just two innings and he was replaced by Thomas Ealey. Ealey got the win allowing just two runs on three hits to go with three walks and two strikeouts in five innings of work.
In the top of the second, Post 43 scored eight runs on five hits and was helped by two Lancaster errors as well. Aiden Cattarin and Cox hit back-to-back triples in the inning as Cattarin drove in two runs in the game in going 1-5. Cox made up for any struggles on the mound by going 3-4 at the plate with two RBI as well.
Both Drew Brink and Avery Childs each had RBI singles in the second inning as well. Childs went 2-4 with an RBI and Brink went 2-4 as well with two RBI in the game.
Lancaster rallied in the bottom of the second scoring four runs on three this as Post 43 had errors of its own in the game with four. However, as Ealey entered the game in the bottom of the third, Lancaster’s bats went silent for the majority of the game’s duration.
Post 43 would add a run in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings and Lancaster would add two runs in the sixth to make it 10-7. Fort Mill would get an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI double from Rylee Ashworth scoring Childs.
Fort Mill will look to close out the series at home at Nation Ford High Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. The Post 43 Senior team, who are 7-0, will look to go to close out their series Thursday night as well on the road against Lancaster at Harvey Eggleton Field.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
