By John Clark
BLADENBORO- Clarkton School of Discovery rallied for 6 runs in the final 2 innings to overcome a 4-0 Bladenboro lead and claim their 3rd consecutive victory Thursday with a 6-5 win over the Bulldogs in Waccamaw Middle School Conference baseball action.
Coach Robert Mazur’s Blue Devils raised their league record to 5-3 and finished their season tied for 2nd place in the Waccamaw’s ‘A’ Conference with Williams Township. Clarkton evened their overall record at 5-5.
Coach Tim Benton’s Bulldogs still claimed sole possession of the ‘A’ Conference title due to Nakina’s 6-1 victory over Williams Thursday. Bladenboro was 6-2 in league play and 7-2 overall.
With Bladenboro leading 4-0, Hunter Wood walked to start the CSD 6th inning. Wood advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball then scored as Jaxon Hair reached base on an error. Omar Powell walked as Hair stole 2nd base. A throwing error on Hair’s steal of 3rd base scored Hair, and Powell dashed home on another error on the same play to trim the margin to 4-3.
Cayden Moore reached base on catcher’s interference. Rex Register was hit by a pitch, and Ryne Priest walked to load the bases, before Aidan Trinidad beat out an infield hit that scored Moore with the tying run.
Noah German and Hair belted singles to right field to begin the Blue Devil 7th inning. Powell walked, and Gabriel Wright’s fielder’s choice plated German with the go-ahead run. Moore was hit by a pitch, but Hair was forced out at the plate. Priest’s infield hit down the 1st base line scored Powell to pad the lead to 6-4.
Corbin Chadwick hammered a double to right-center field to start the Bulldog 7th, and Drake Gause yanked a single to left. Sawyer King walked to load the bases, but the Blue Devils turned a 2nd baseman Wood to shortstop Powell to 1st baseman Wright double play as Chadwick scored. After a walk to Gauge King, Hair knocked down a liner at 3rd base and threw out the batter to end the game.
Hair pitched the 1st 5 innings for the Blue Devils and allowed 4 runs – 2 earned- on 2 hits, 6 walks and a hit batter while striking out 5. German worked 2 innings of relief and gave up a run on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 2.
Bulldog ace Ashton Davis pitched 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs – 0 earned – on a hit, 5 walks and 2 hit batters while striking out 13. Chase Bryan worked 1.1 innings in relief and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out one.
Hair batted 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the CSD hitters. Trinidad and Priest had RBI hits, and German singled and scored. Powell walked 3 times, was hit by a pitch and scored 2 runs. Moore and Wood scored runs, and Wright had an RBI.
Devan Stanley and Chadwick slammed doubles and had RBIs for the Bulldogs. Davis cracked an RBI single, and Gause and Cole Brisson laced singles. Cole Brisson, Bryan, Davis, Chadwick and Sawyer King scored runs.
Cole Brisson and Bryan drew walks to start the Bladenboro 1st inning. Davis raked a single through the middle that scored Brisson, and Bryan scored on Chadwick’s fielder’s choice for a 2-0 lead.
Sawyer King walked, stole 2nd base and scored on a wild pitch in the Bulldog 2nd inning. Davis reached on an error in the 3rd inning and galloped home when Stanley drilled a double to left field that padded the Bladenboro lead to 4-0.
Besides the key defensive plays in the last inning for the Blue Devils, center fielder Moore flashed the leather and robbed Bryan of hits with 2 diving catches in the 3rd and 6th innings for CSD.
Clarkton 000 004 2 — 6-5-1
Bladenboro 211 000 1 — 5-5-5
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