LANCASTER – Despite beating them handily during the regular season, the two-game sweep of Lancaster Post 31 by Fort Mill Post 43 in the first round of the playoffs was anything but easy.
Fort Mill Post 43 beat Lancaster Post 31 6-4 and 4-2 in the doubleheader to advance to the second round of the American League Summer Baseball playoffs sweeping them in their best-of-3 first round series. Post 43 improved to 12-2 on the season and will now face North Augusta in the second round, most likely next week.
The two teams were playing a doubleheader Tuesday evening after getting rained out Monday because of Tropical Storm Isaias. Coming into the playoff opener for both teams, Fort Mill had outscored Lancaster 44-5 in winning all four regular season games. However, Lancaster Post 31 didn’t just roll over for Post 43.
“You have to give Lancaster a lot of credit,” said Post 43 head coach Tom Skula. “They really showed some grit in both games and gave us all we could handle. I am really happy we were able to take care of business in two games. Anything can happen when you enter the playoffs and it’s all about surviving and advancing to the next round.”
In game one, Patrick Matthews got things going for Fort Mill early leading the game off with a solo home run to put Post 43 up 1-0. Matthews would lead Fort Mill going 3-4 at the plate with two RBI. Post 43 would add another run in the inning.
Magdiel Cotto got the start on the mound and went five scoreless innings for the third consecutive game. He also hasn’t allowed a hit in three consecutive games. That has put him at 15 consecutive innings not allowing a hit or a run scored while striking out 31 and walking six during those 15 innings. Against Lancaster, Cotto struck out 13 and walked two Post 31 players.
“It is really remarkable what Cotto has been able to do in his last three starts,” Skula said. “Being able to roll him out there every week is a great weapon to have.”
Fort Mill added two runs in the third inning on three hits with Kolby Crepeau, who went 2-3 singled and was then later driven in by Connor Rasmussen, who went 1-3 with an RBI. In the fourth inning, Nic Curtis would hit a solo home run to start things off for Post 43 and make it 6-0 for Fort Mill.
Lancaster kept fighting and got to Post 43’s bullpen as they scored three runs on one hit off Evan VandenBosch in the sixth and scored a run on two hits off Tyler Levy as well, before Fort Mill would hold on for the 6-4 win in game one.
Game two was just as much of a nail bitter for Post 43 as Lancaster struck first scoring in the bottom half of the first inning to go up 1-0 on Fort Mill and starter Kyle Raynor. Raynor started slow, but found his groove in the second through sixth innings as he went six innings allowing two runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out 10.
“Kyle was impressive,” Skula said. “He threw the ball well for his second consecutive start. I though his velocity was up a click and he had a great feel for his breaking ball.”
Post 43 scored in the top of the second on an RBI double from A.J. Jaworowski to score Brady Stone, who reached on a single. Fort Mill would take a 2-1 lead in the third as Aaron Pendergast would get an RBI the hard way after getting hit by a pitch to score Chase Dougherty, who singled earlier in the inning.
Lancaster tied the game back up at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on two hits.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning that Xavier Cumbee would get the game winning hit as he smashed a two-run home run to drive in Matthews, who singled to lead off the inning. Clinging to a 4-2 lead, Raynor worked the sixth and got out of the inning with a double play. Dusty Sanderlin would work the seventh inning to get the save and again got out of the inning, as Lancaster would end their season grounding into a double play to end the game.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
