On the backs of three home runs in the game, the Fort Mill Post 43 senior team handily beat Chester Post 27 16-3 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Fort Mill had home runs from Harrison Wilson, Aaron Pendergast and Nic Curtis as Post 43 scattered 12 hits in the game and erupted for 12 of their 16 runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Post 43 got off to a somewhat slow start despite scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. They would add a fourth run in the second inning, but only managed two hits for the first four innings of the game. Then, in the fifth inning, Fort Mill bats caught fire.
Wilson, who went 2-4 with four RBI, hit a two-run home run. His shot was followed by a solo shot from Pendergast to put Post 43 up 9-1 after the inning. Along with the home runs, Fort Mill got three triples in the game from Kenan Bowman, Gabe Simmons and Patrick Matthews.
“I’m really impressed on how quickly this group has come together as a team,” said Fort Mill senior head coach Tom Skula. “We are going to continue to lean on our veteran players to set the right mindset and tone every night.”
In the sixth inning, Post 43 scored seven runs and won the game on a walk-off grand slam from Curtis, as he went 1-3 with four RBI as well. Both Connor Rasmussen and Scott Young each went 2-3 with three RBI.
“Offensively, I love our approach at the plate,” Skula said. “We are starting to click on all cylinders. Tonight showed we can hit the ball into the gap, out of the park, move runners over, and produce runs when we have guys in scoring position with less than two outs.”
On the mound, Fort Mill got off to a good start as Eric Yelton pitched five innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out four. Dusty Sanderlin entered in relief for an inning and allowed two runs on three hits.
“I really like the way Eric competed on the mound tonight,” Skula said. “He pounded the zone and looked like the pitcher I saw during the high school season. For us to be successful as a team our pitchers have to give us quality starts and throw strikes night in and night out”
Fort Mill heads to Chester today for the second game of the three game season series and will return home June 17 for game three of the series.
Juniors rally to win in Chester
The Fort Mill Post 43 junior team improved to 4-0 after coming from behind in the late innings to get a 9-5 win at Chester.
The game went back and forth until the sixth inning when Fort Mill broke a 4-4 tie and scored two runs. They would add three more in the seventh inning as well.
Paul Solari went 2-3 with three RBI and Connor Griffin went 2-4 with three RBI in the game. Luke Keller went 2-4 in the game with two RBI.
Fort Mill juniors will host Chester Post 27 at Nation Ford today, before heading back on the road Thursday against them in game three of the season series.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
