Everyone remembers Don Meredith’s rendition of “Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” on Monday Night Football during the 1970s.

Not too many realize just how close to the truth that was for Inman Mills Park.

The legendary Textile League and American Legion ballpark was on the verge of being closed down after last year in need of new lights.

Inman Post 45 coach Steve Skinner said he knew it wasn’t going to be inexpensive.

“It was very close (to being locked up),” Skinner said. “The power supply we had had been coming from the back of Inman Mills. It was sold to a company that was building new condominiums, and we had to look elsewhere.”

Soon after, the community came together and began working to save the park. Skinner says nothing would have been resolved without their help.

“A lot of the work was done by volunteers,” he said. “Most of the labor was free labor and (others raised money) through donations.”

Skinner stated that Spartanburg Christian Academy, who shares the field, also chipped in financially.

State District 37 Representative G. Ralph Davenport got a grant for the new lights shortly after the infield was revamped by a movie crew that used the ballpark, Skinner said.

“I’m sure everyone is glad the work has been done. We’ve had several complements,” Skinner added. “It would have been a terrible blow to the community since most everyone that grew up here either played in the ballpark or watched a game there.”

INMAN — Inman Post 45 rallied for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win by the 10-run rule for the second straight night, beating Union Post 22 at home, 12-2.

The heart of the Post 45 lineup carried much of the load, as No. 3 hitter Grey Ramsey was 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs and cleanup hitter Trey Mabry was 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs and three RBIs.

“Gray struggled early in the year, but he’s getting on track now,” Inman coach Steve Skinner said. “He came on late last year. And Trey just gets on base every game — walks, hits, whatever it takes. We were missing some guys tonight, and I moved him into the No. 4 slot, and he did a good job.”

“We all put the ball in play, and we made them make the plays and we got lucky at times,” Mabry said. “It says a lot about the team and the heart and drive (we) have to go out there and take (a pitch) wherever it has to go.”

Through six and a half innings, Inman held just a 4-2 lead, but when Union starting pitcher Gene Vinson was knocked out the game, the floodgates opened for Inman.

Nine of the first 10 batters of the inning reached base for Inman, but things could have been even worse for Union.

Facing the second batter of the inning, Union starting pitcher Gene Vinson landed awkwardly attempting to field a bunt and stayed down for a few minutes holding his knee. Fortunately for Vinson and Union, the pitcher was walking around after the game, and the injury was not as serious as first thought.

“(Vinson) kept us shut down until about the sixth or seventh inning,” Skinner said. “We put a few hits together, got some men on base, and then he got injured. We’re fortunate to win again tonight; we played good ball, played good defense, and had good pitching. You can’t ask for much more.”

Union jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an Anthony Smith RBI single in the top of the second inning but left the bases loaded without scoring again. Inman took the lead in the bottom of the third when Ramsey and Mabry got things started with two outs. Both eventually plated for a 2-1 lead.

But Union tied the game in the top of the fifth at 2-2 and was within striking distance until the disastrous seventh.

“We made some bad errors behind (Vinson) tonight,” Union coach Tommy Ford said. “When they had us 4-2, they had one earned run out of the whole dealm, and we gave them the others. We were in the ball game and pretty much stayed in it until we made errors. We played better ball tonight — no doubt — for seven innings.”

Inman starting pitcher Alex Wilson went five-plus innings, allowing six hits and one earned run to get the win. Wilson also struck out four batters and was 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks, a run scored and an RBI.

Inman Post 45 coach Steve Skinner would like to forget last year.

In just the second week of the season, Skinner lost his top three pitchers to injuries, and Post 45 missed the League VI playoffs.

“I had high expectations when we started last year,” Skinner said. “We just had so many injuries that it took us out of our game. Over the last seven, eight or nine years, we haven’t missed the playoffs but a time or two. It was just rare that we miss.”

Skinner may be able to relax a little more this season.

Inman appears to have a solid pitching staff.

Left-hander Jimmy Revan, who went 11-0 for Boiling Springs and was named the 4A state player of the year, will lead post 45.

Helping out Revan in the rotation will be fellow left-handers Andrew Brooks (Erskine) and T.J. Waldrop (Chapman).

Landrum’s Alex Wilson along with Boiling Springs standouts Taylor Blanton and Austin Brown will give Post 45 some added depth.

“We’ll have arms,” said Skinner who is in his 29th season. “Hopefully, we will have some good help pitching this year.”

Post 45 will look to its returning players Trey Mabry (Boiling Springs) and Chapman standouts Grey Ramsey and Taylor Pierce to improve an offense that struggled a year ago.

“The last couple of years we haven’t hit the ball like we needed to,” Skinner said. “Putting runs on the board will be the biggest thing.”

Landrum’s Zeke Rollins and Chapman’s Chris Collins, both first-year players, should add some pop to the offense.

Skinner says his team is improved heading into Monday’s league opener at Greer but needs to play well to have a chance to contend.

“Spartanburg will be strong offensively, Gaffney is usually real good, and Union was a playoff team last year,” he said. “Hitting will be the key because we’re going to be good defensively. I think if we go out and get the pitching performances, we can play with everybody.”