BLADENBORO – Ty Mathis pitched a no-hitter and struck out 16 batters to lead Elizabethtown to a 9-1 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Bladenboro Thursday.
Chase Starkloff hammered a triple to start the game and scored on Jackson Wright’s fielder’s choice to give the Cougars an early 1-0 lead.
Bladenboro’s Bryley Williams reached base on an error to begin the bottom of the first, stole second and eventually scored the tying run.
Weston Hatcher belted a single in the Cougar second inning but was forced at second base by Ahmad Powell. Powell stole a base and eventually scored on a passed ball to put the visitors back on top 2-1.
Starkloff reached base on an error in the Elizabethtown fifth inning, stole second and third base before scoring on a passed ball to boost the lead to 3-1.
Mathis slammed a double to lead-off the Cougar sixth. Evan Pait smacked a single that scored Mathis. Hatcher knocked in Pait with a single, stole second and sprinted home when Starkloff smashed a double to grow the lead to 6-1.
The Cougars tacked on 3 runs in the seventh. Wright cracked a lead-off single, and Elijah Bullard walked. Mathis ripped a double that scored Wright and Bullard. Hatcher’s sacrifice fly plated Mathis.
Starkloff batted 2-3 with a triple, a double, a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Hatcher also finished 2-3 with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Mathis slugged 2 doubles, drove in 2 runs and scored two.
Pait batted 2-4 with an rbi and a run scored. Wright singled home a run and scored one. Bullard and Powell scored one run each.
Mathis walked three batters, hit one and 3 Bulldogs reached base on errors. Lefthander Kaiden Stanly pitched a 9-hitter, struck out 13 batters and walked 4 for Bladenboro.
Elizabethtown moved into first place in the Bladen Five with a 3-1 record. Bladenboro, now 2-2, dropped into a second-place tie with Tar Heel.
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