It was a night of shifting momentums across the diamond on Friday as area softball powerhouses faced tough road tests and tournament battles.
James F. Byrnes 9, Fort Mill 3
History repeated itself for the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets on Friday night. Facing the James F. Byrnes Rebels—the same program that dealt them a loss in May 2023—the Yellow Jackets struggled to find their footing in a 9-3 defeat. The loss marks the second consecutive “L” for Fort Mill, dropping their season record to 2-4.
Despite the outcome, Brooke Rosario provided a major spark for the Yellow Jackets’ offense. Rosario finished the night 2-for-3, including a double, a stolen base, and a run scored. Emily Poteat mirrored that energy, going 1-for-3 with a double and a stolen base of her own.
The Rebels (3-2) will look to build on their winning record Tuesday at Gaffney. Meanwhile, Fort Mill travels to Rock Hill on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., hoping to ignite their bats against a Bearcats defense that has allowed seven runs per game this season.
Hillcrest 3, Nation Ford 0
Nation Ford’s perfect start to the season came to a silent halt on Friday. Just one game removed from a dominant 15-run performance, the Falcons’ bats went cold in a 3-0 shutout loss to the Hillcrest Rams.
The loss is the first of the year for Nation Ford, moving them to 4-1. Hillcrest (4-5) leaned on a stifling defensive effort to secure the upset. The Falcons will attempt to bounce back Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. when they visit Indian Land, a team currently riding a three-game winning streak.
Catawba Ridge 5, West-Oak 3
The Catawba Ridge Copperheads kept their tournament momentum rolling, edging out the West-Oak Warriors 5-3 on Friday afternoon. The victory marks back-to-back wins for the Copperheads, who improved their season record to 5-3.
The loss was the first of the season for West-Oak (4-1).
