ROCK HILL – The Fort Mill Post 43 Seniors were able to hold off a late rally by Rock Hill Post 34 to take the season series.
Fort Mill won 13-11 in game two at Rock Hill High School. Post 43 improved to 8-4 overall on the season.
Jack Shelnutt singled with one out in the top of the first for Fort Mill. He stole second and reached third on a passed ball, but wasn’t able to score.
Rock Hill threatened early getting the bases loaded with one out of a couple hits and a walk. A wild pitch scored a run for Post 34 and a passed ball added another one. An RBI single put Rock Hill up 3-0 after the first inning.
Fort Mill got on the board in the top of the second inning with a walk to Jackson Carroll, followed by a double from Ethan Solnick scoring him. Cooper Armstrong singled in Solnick and TJ McCluney who walked eventually stole home to tie the game at three. Alex Blanchette singled in Armstrong giving Post 43 the lead before Rock Hill could get out of the inning.
Fort Mill starter Carter Powell got Post 34 down in order in the second inning.
Lawson Smith singled to start the top of the third inning. JT Leonhardt reached on an error and Smith would score on an error later in the inning. Leonhardt would advance on the second error of the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. Armstrong reached on a fielder’s choice and then Solnick, who walked earlier in the inning, scored on Rock Hill’s third error of the inning putting Post 43 up 7-3.
Despite having a four-run lead, Fort Mill continued to struggle on the mound at times. Two walks to Rock Hill hitters and then a double scored two runs for Post 34 with just one out in the bottom of the third. An infield single scored another run for Rock Hill as they pulled within one at 7-6 before Post 43 got out of the inning.
Walks to Shelnutt and Blanchette set up a three-run home run by Cooper Diehl to give Fort Mill some breathing room. Leonhardt reached on another Rock Hill error and Carroll singled. Solnick was hit by a pitch and McCluney doubled in two more Post 43 runs. Shelnutt singled in McCluney before Armstrong was thrown out at home. Post 43 led 13-6 after the top of the fourth.
Zach McMahon came in the game in the fourth inning. Powell went three innings allowing six runs on six hits while walking five and striking out two.
After a scoreless fifth inning for both, Rock Hill started hitting McMahon in the sixth. After two singles, Rock Hill got runners on the corners with no outs. An error by Fort Mill allowed a run for Post 34. A double by Rock Hill scored two more runs before a pitching change for Fort Mill. Daniel McCloskey came in for McMahon, who went two and two thirds allowing four runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out one. Rock Hill scored four runs on four hits in the inning to pull within three.
In the bottom of the seventh, a two out double and then a Post 43 error pulled Rock Hill to within two, but McCloskey was able to regroup for the final out.
Shelnutt was 3-4 with an RBI and Diehl was 1-4 with three RBI. Solnick had two hits and McCluney had two RBI.
Fort Mill will host game three in the series on Thursday, July 2.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
