5 updates as American Legion baseball playoffs continue for Rock Hill area teams
The opening round of the American Legion baseball playoffs is complete, and four area teams are headed for the second round of play which begins Monday.
In the senior division, Rock Hill Post 34 and Lancaster Post 31 earned first round best-of-three playoff wins and will join Fort Mill Post 43, which received a first round bye, in the second round best-of-five series.
Fort Mill will play Lancaster in the second round, while Rock Hill will go against Williamston.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Fort Mill readies itself for playoff action
Fort Mill played three games last week. The team routed Hamlet (NC) 18-0 and split a pair of games with Inman, which also got a first round bye. Inman won the first game 4-2, but Fort Mill won the second outing 8-3. Fort MIll moves to the second round with an overall record of 14-4.
“Getting the first game at home and the home field advantage in the series is crucial for us,” said Fort Mill head coach Tom Skula. “This is a series that we must be ready to play. When you get this far every team is capable of winning.”
Skula said he was pleased with the way his team played last week.
“We are getting better every day,” he added. “The second round will test our pitching depth and our improvement as a team.”
2. Lancaster moves on in playoffs
Lancaster defeated Buffalo in two games in last week’s opening round to move to the second round. They won the first game 6-1, and completed the sweep with a 5-3 win in the second contest. Both games featured outstanding pitching and timely hitting. Their overall mark is now 7-7.
“We have played well of late,” said Lancaster head coach Jimmy Jackson, whose team has won five of its last six games. “The key for us is to continue to get good pitching and play defense.”
Fort Mill won two of three games against Lancaster in the regular season, and this series looks to be very competitive.
3. Rock Hill survives Greenville, heads to second round of playoffs
Rock Hill advanced by beating Greenville twice in three outings. They will carry a record of 13-5 into the second round of play.
Rock Hill won the first game 5-4, but Greenville evened the series with a 10-5 win in the second contest. Post 34 regrouped and registered a 20-7 victory to move to the second round
“Our character showed in that first game when we pulled out a close win,” said Rock Hill head coach Jeremy McCoy. “Our offense got back on track in the third game, and that gives us confidence heading to the second round.”
4. Chesterfield, Chester American Legion seasons are over
Chesterfield dropped both of its first round games to Greer. They lost 6-0 in the first game and were beaten 8-0 in the second game. Chesterfield finished the year with a record of 4-10.
Chester lost its two first round games to Spartanburg. They dropped a 6-2 decision in the first game and lost 16-6 in the second contest. They completed the year with a mark of 2-12.
5. Junior baseball division updates
In the junior division, Fort Mill was the only one of four area teams to advance to the second round.
Fort Mill opened with a 6-2 win in the first game against Richland. A four-run outburst in the fourth frame keyed the victory. They wrapped up the series with an 8-7, come-from-behind win in the second game. Fort Mill trailed 3-0 early, but rallied to tie it at 5-5 in the fourth. They took an 8-5 lead in the fifth and held off a Richland rally in the seventh to earn the win.
Fort Mill, which is now 14-0, will play Lexington in a best-of-three series in the second round. The first game is set for Fort Mill on Monday night.
“Getting that first game at home is a big thing for us,” said Fort Mill head coach Mike Lewis. “We have played well at home all season.”
The key for moving to the state tournament, which starts on Friday at Riley Park in Sumter, is very simple, Lewis said.
“We have got to throw strikes and play good defense,” he said. “We have to do a better job of stringing hits together.”
Rock Hill was eliminated by Inman. Rock Hill pounded out 13 hits and won the first game 13-3. Inman responded with a 10-3 win in the second contest.
They toppled Rock Hill 12-10 in the third game. Inman broke a 7-7 tie with five runs in the top of the seventh. Rock Hill rallied in the bottom half of the frame and scored three times. The rally ended with the tying run at second base. Rock Hill completed the year with a record of 8-7.
Chester was knocked out by Ninety-Six, which used a six-run fifth inning to claim a 10-2 win in the first game. They completed the sweep with a 8-5 decision in the second contest. Chester completed the year with a mark of 5-9.
Lancaster was bested by Sumter, which won the first game 10-0. Lancaster evened the series with a 7-2 win in the second game in the series. A 9-7 victory by Sumter in the third contest gave them the series. Lancaster completed the year with a record of 5-10.
Senior Division Schedules
Monday
Lancaster at Fort Mill
Rock Hill at Williamston
Tuesday
Fort Mill at Lancaster
Williamston at Rock Hill
Wednesday
Lancaster at Fort Mill
Rock Hill at Williamston
Thursday (IF GAME)
Fort Mill at Lancaster
Williamston at Rock Hill
Friday (IF GAME)
Lancaster at Fort Mill
Rock Hill at Williamston
Junior Division
Monday
Lexington at Fort Mill
Tuesday
Fort Mill at Lexington
Wednesday (IF GAME)
Lexington at Fort Mill
NOTE: All games start at 7:30 p.m.