Fort Mill baseball beats Berkeley and is now one win away from a state championship
Every sports fan has heard every cliché about baseball being a “total team effort.” In Fort Mill’s case, those sayings came to life Saturday night.
Whether it was pitcher and leadoff hitter Connor Rasmussen going 3-for-3 at the plate, Zach Jennings and Jackson McKinney contributing key at-bats in the eighth and ninth spots, or the firepower in between, the Yellow Jackets closed out the home portion of their 2022 campaign in style. Fort Mill pounded out 10 hits on the way to a 6-2 result over Berkeley to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three 5A state baseball championship series.
“I’m proud of these guys,” Fort Mill coach Travis Collier said.
Berkeley (26-5) put the first run on the board in the top of the second. Designated hitter Hudson Clark smashed a triple down the right-field line just out of Brent Laughter’s reach, starting a two-out threat for the Stags. Clark then scampered home on a wild pitch to afford the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
That 1-0 lead held for the Stags until a third inning that proved decisive for the home side. McKinney persistently worked Berkeley pitcher Miller McGuire, spoiling pitch after pitch in an at-bat that eventually resulted in an 11-pitch walk. Rasmussen wasted little time as the lineup turned over, bashing a single into right that advanced McKinney to third. The gravity of the sequence was not lost on Collier.
“Those are the types of at-bats that change ballgames, and it changed the complexion of the inning,” Collier said. “(McKinney) gets the lead-off walk, then Connor gets the single and it’s first and third.
“I truly believe that at-bat kind of changed it for (McGuire). The pitcher looked very tired after that at-bat. He was kind of defeated mentally. Those are the kinds of at-bats that we preach. When you have those at-bats – especially in the middle of the game, when guys are trying to cruise – he was settled in. He was okay for the first few innings. I felt like that at-bat really changed the game for us offensively, because he had to use everything he had and we came out on the plus side there.”
Dylan Schaefer continued the third frame with a double high off the wall in left-center, bringing Rasmussen to the plate. Carter Blankinship would then add on for the Jackets, ripping a single to left that brought home Schaefer and Eli Craddock to put the Jackets ahead, 4-1. The Blankinship single ended McGuire’s night for the Stags.
Rasmussen settled in during the middle innings. The senior righty retired the side in both the fourth and fifth innings, fanning the side in the latter frame. The Stags mounted a bit of a challenge in the sixth, with Austin Hewette reaching on a single up the middle before advancing to second and third on wild pitches. McGuire then smashed a single between short and third to cut the Berkeley deficit to 4-2 before Rasmussen induced back-to-back flyouts to halt the charge.
From there, Rasmussen took matters into his own hands.
Jennings started the sixth with a base hit to left to cap an eight-pitch at-bat. After McKinney sacrificed Jennings to second, Rasmussen blasted an 0-1 pitch into the night toward Bob Jones Stadium, clearing the wall in right-center and giving Fort Mill a 6-2 lead. The senior star then put an exclamation mark on the big night, again whiffing the side in the seventh to get the win.
“He got the win on the mound because he pitched phenomenally,” Collier said of Rasmussen. “My man went 3-for-3 tonight. He was a triple shy of the cycle tonight. You can’t be any more clutch than that. What else can you say? He got the win on the mound and went 3-for-3 with a bomb there in the sixth to ignite the crowd. You can’t say any more about that kid.”
Rasmussen worked a complete game, scattering five hits and striking out seven. The Jackets were also aided by a stout defense, including two key plays by freshman right fielder Brent Laughter. Collier called on another standard baseball phrase to recap the night.
“What’s the cliché? Pitching and defense win championships,” Collier said. “He couldn’t have been any more special. If we don’t throw out (Berkeley left fielder Jackson Proctor) in the first inning, who knows what happens? Who knows if they put up a crooked number? That’s a momentum play. That ball in foul territory that he dove and caught there in the sixth inning, that’s a momentum play. They had some momentum. We stole it from them. Just two fantastic plays by a freshman.”
Fort Mill takes the 1-0 series lead to Moncks Corner Tuesday night to battle Berkeley in game two of the series. First pitch is set for 6:30.
W: Rasmussen. L: McGuire. Hitters: B – Proctor 1-2; Clark 1-3, McGuire 1-3. FM – Rasmussen 3-3, HR; Jennings 2-3; Blankinship 3-3.
