A fifth inning three-run walk-off home run gave Fort Mill Post 43 the League IV title with a 10-0 win over Rock Hill Post 34 Monday night.
Hunter Busque provided the fifth inning drama with the three-run home run giving Post 43 the win. It is their first league title since 2021 as they improved to 14-3 overall and 9-1 in League IV with two games to go.
Fort Mill got off to a decent start in the first after getting the bases loaded, but was unable to push a run over. Jackson Mullen reached on an error and Cooper Zohner was hit by a pitch. Zach Jennings walked to load the bases, but Post 43 couldn’t score.
The bottom of the second inning was much of the same for Fort Mill, but this time they scored. Simon Fernandez walked and Brennan Helms singled him over to second. Thomas Ealey reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Owen Noonan hit a sacrifice fly to score Fernandez as Post 43 would score.
Fort Mill kept things moving in the third inning as Zohner and Jennings singled to start the hitting off. Helms drove in Zohner on an RBI single. Ealey doubled scoring Jennings with two outs making it 3-0 before Rock Hill pulled their starter.
Nico Bartolotti singled opening the fourth inning and was followed by a walk to Mullen and Zohner was hit by a pitch all with no outs in the inning. Busque hit a two-run single scoring both Zohner and Mullen with one out. Fort Mill would get out of the inning leading 5-0.
Starter River Joye went four innings without allowing a hit. In the top of the fifth, Rock Hill got their first two hits of the game.
Post 43 loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth. Ealey singled and Noonan reached on an error. Bartolotti walked to load the bases before Zohner walked also leading to a sixth run for Post 43.
Jennings drove in Noonan and Busque would hit a three-run home run to end the game by the mercy rule.
Busque went 2-4 with five RBIs. Jennings and Helms each went 2-3 and Ealey went 3-3 as all three of them had an RBI.
Joye pitched a complete game on just 44 pitches. He allowed just two hits and struck out three.
Game two in the series will be Tuesday, July 9 at Rock Hill High School.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
