03/28/2024
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FAIRMONT – Fairmont rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to upset East Bladen 7-5 Friday night in Three Rivers Conference baseball action. It was the 1st conference loss for the Eagles, now 4-1 in TRC play and 7-4 overall.

With the Eagles leading 3-2, NyNy Cromartie started the Tornado rally with a 1-out single, and sophomore Nate Jones walked. An error on Quentin Hunt’s grounder loaded the bases. Eagle starter Lefredrick Wooten struck out Noah Parker for the 2nd out but had to leave the mound due to the pitch count limit.

Sophomore Malachi Gales delivered a single that plated Cromartie and Jones, and an error on the play allowed Hunt to score. Cameron Hodge drove in Gales with a single, and another error on Ridge Walters’ liner scored Hodge and boosted the Fairmont lead to 7-3.

Senior Zach Meares blasted a triple to right field to start the Eagle 7th inning. Junior Ethan Johnson ripped a single to left that scored Meares. Senior Brady Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch, and an error on senior Jacob Priest’s grounder scored Johnson and trimmed the margin to 7-5. However a fly-out and a ground-out ended the game.

Meares batted 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and 2 runs scored to lead the East hitters. Senior Rasean McKoy doubled and drove in a run. Johnson and senior Drew Sholar contributed 1 hit each to the Eagle attack. Johnson scored twice, and senior Tyler Hill scored a run. Johnson and Priest drove in 1 run each.

Wooten pitched 5.2 innings and allowed 5 runs – 2 earned – on 5 hits and 5 walks while striking out seven. Priest pitched 0.1 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits.

Meares drilled a 1-out double to left in the 3rd inning and sprinted home as Johnson reached base on an error. Wooten and Hollingsworth drew walks to load the bases, before Priest launched a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Johnson for a 2-0 Eagle lead.

Hill and junior Raymond Autry drew 1-out walks in the Eagle 4th inning, and McKoy hammered a double to left that scored Hill and padded the lead to 3-0.

Jones and Parker sandwiched singles around a walk to Hunt in the Tornado 5th inning. Parker’s hit scored Jones, and Hodge drove in Hunt with a single to close the gap to 3-2.

Hodge batted 2-3 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Tornadoes. Gales delivered the key 2-run single and scored a run. Parker had an RBI single. Jones and Hunt scored 2 runs each.

Jones pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs – 1 earned – on 4 hits and 6 walks while striking out one. Sophomore Josiah Williams worked the final inning and gave up 2 runs – 1 earned – on 2 hits.

The Eagles will host St. Pauls on Senior Night Tuesday at 7 p.m.

 

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