Is York-Northwestern a rivalry? Baseball scores, region standings from Rock Hill area
Sure, it was a non-region game. And sure, the York and Northwestern baseball teams hadn’t played since 2016 — and that game wasn’t even a close one (a 16-3 Trojan win).
But Friday night felt like a rivalry game.
Come the last out in the bottom of the seventh inning, when a Hunter Latham pitch was slapped into right field and caught on the fly, York stormed the mound in excitement. And the Cougars deserved to be excited: They’d come up with a 6-4 win — fighting off a resilient effort by a group of Trojans who many of the York players grew up playing baseball with, and, more importantly, a group that had just seen its seven game winning streak end.
“That’s why we like to play the game,” York coach Tripper Crisson told The Herald after the win. “And that’s how you want it to be in the midseason, whenever both of us go back to our region games: You want it to be tough and get you ready for the playoffs — because the playoffs are coming up here very shortly. And we all want to get into playoff mode.”
The scoring began in the top of the fourth inning. York’s Damien Callagy got to first via an error. Then two singles — from Hudson Robinson and Anderson Fulk — loaded the bases. And then the proverbial floodgates opened: Two wild pitches led to two runs; a single from Andrew King drove in another; a single from Jack Peeler drove in a fourth; and then a Cooper Parks bunt was enough to get Peeler to home from third.
5-0, York.
But Northwestern came alive in the bottom of the sixth: A Will Dorrell triple and then a Sydney Mullennix single put the Trojans on the board. Then an Ethan Darden walk and a Will Kent single led to two more runs. And then, Michael Gibson subbed in and nailed a double down the third baseline to send in Kent.
5-4, York still led Northwestern — but it was a game.
Ultimately, though, Northwestern couldn’t complete the comeback: York scored one more run — by virtue of a double, single and then another wild pitch — and Northwestern went scoreless in its last two half-innings.
But attempting such a comeback was notable in and of itself, Northwestern coach Ryan Hunt told The Herald postgame.
“I just told the guys, man: ‘A month ago, I feel like we would’ve pulled out the lawn chairs and gave up,’ but these guys have grown a lot in a month,” Hunt said. “They’re a bunch of fighters in there. I mean, you got eight seniors who missed their seasons last year, so they’re going to take every pitch, every inning, and fight to the end.”
Landon Sexton got the win for York. The starting right handed pitcher threw 5.0 innings and only allowed seven hits and two runs while striking out six. Hunter Latham earned the save and struck out two in the game’s final half-inning to all but squash Northwestern’s comeback attempts.
Northwestern starter Nate Clack pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five runs. Sydney Mullennix pitched 3.1 and allowed one run. Each struck out three.
THREE BASEBALL SERIES TO WATCH NEXT WEEK
1. Northwestern versus Rock Hill: Northwestern and Rock Hill are still in the playoff picture, and that fact alone makes the three-game rivalry series next week all the more special A sweep or 2-1 series win for either team keeps them in the playoff picture. One thing’s for certain: Northwestern has turned around its season after a slow start, and a loss against a talented York team perhaps has only prepared Northwestern more. Trojans coach Hunt called the atmosphere on Friday night similar to how he expects the Rock Hill rivalry games to be next week.
2. Gaffney versus Fort Mill: The Yellow Jackets are still alive for a playoff spot, but they’re hanging on by a thread. A sweep of this series will keep them in the hunt for the postseason. They need to win at least two of the contests in order to have a chance to stay in the playoff picture.
3. York versus Lancaster: York is currently in first place in the region with the only loss coming to Catawba Ridge. Lancaster is in third place. If the Cougars sweep or win the series, they will have a stronger grip on first place. If Lancaster sweeps or wins the series, the Bruins can move into a first place tie or stay in contention for the region title and a playoff spot.
BASEBALL SCORES, STORYLINES IN ROCK HILL AREA
Here’s a look at the scores and storylines from Friday night’s baseball action in York, Chester and Lancaster counties.
York at Northwestern: The York Cougars defeated the Northwestern Trojans 6-4.
Clover at Gaffney: The Gaffney Indians edged the Clover Blue Eagles 4-3 in a Region 3-5A game.
Rock Hill at Ridge View: The Rock Hill Bearcats toppled the Ridge View Blazers 7-1 in a Region 4-5A game.
South Pointe at Indian Land: The South Pointe Stallions built a 10-3 lead after three innings and went on to register an 11-7 victory over the Indian Land Warriors in a Region 3-4A game. The Stallions swept the three-games series.
Legion Collegiate at Andrew Jackson: The Andrew Jackson Volunteers scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to claim a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Legion Collegiate Lancers in a Region 3-2A game.
Lancaster at Catawba Ridge: The Catawba Ridge Copperheads routed the Lancaster Bruins 12-1 in a Region 3-4A game. The win gave the Copperheads the three-game series, 2-1.
Chester at Mid-Carolina: The Mid-Carolina Rebels defeated the Chester Cyclones 9-0 in a Region 4-3A game. The Rebels swept the two-game series for the week.
Fort Mill at Boiling Springs: The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets defeated the Boiling Springs Bulldogs 5-3 in a Region 3-5A game. Fort Mill, which lost the first two games in the series, scored three runs in the third inning for a 4-2 lead and held for the win.
McBee at Lewisville: The Lewisville Lions topped the McBee Panthers 9-5 in a non-region game. The Lions, who have already clinched the region title, swept the two-game series from the Panthers during the week.
Great Falls at Richard Winn Academy: The Richard Winn Eagles built a 7-0 lead after two innings and coasted to a 17-2 win over the Great Falls Red Devils in a non-region contest.
REGION STANDINGS
Here are the latest local region standings after Friday’s results.
Region 3-5A
Boiling Springs is leading the region, with Nation Ford in the second position. Fort Mill is third with Clover fourth and Gaffney fifth.
Region 4-5A
Blythewood is on top of the region right now. Northwestern is second, and Rock Hill is third. Spring Valley and Ridge View complete the region.
Region 3-4A
York is in first place with Catawba Ridge second. South Pointe and Lancaster are tied for third, and Indian Land is fifth.
Region 4-3A
Mid-Carolina and Fairfield Central are tied for first place. Chester is third with Lower Richland and Keenan tied for fourth.
Region 4-2A
Andrew Jackson is leading at present. Legion Collegiate is second. Chesterfield is third, while Central and Buford are tied for fourth. Cheraw and North Central complete the region.
Region 2-1A
Lewisville has clinched the region. McBee and Great Falls are tied for second. CA Johnson is last.
This story was originally published April 17, 2021 at 10:50 AM.
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