WINNABOW – Columbus County rallied from a 2-1 deficit and defeated Bladen County 5-3 in the opening round of the 2024 North Carolina Dixie Boys State Tournament Sunday at Town Creek Park.
Bladen County will play Lumberton at 11:30 a.m. Monday in an elimination game. Lumberton dropped its tourney opener 6-0 to Hope Mills.
Singles by Nate Merritt, Duncan Worley and Kaleb Burchette produced a Columbus run in the 2nd inning.
In the Bladen 4th inning, Noah German and Chase Bryan sandwiched singles around a walk to Omar Powell. German and Powell both scored to vault Bladen ahead 2-1.
Kam Coker walked, and Briley Tedder reached base in the Columbus 5th inning. Both of them scored. Xavier King singled and Worley reached base in the Columbus 6th inning. Both of them scored to pad the lead to 5-2.
Cayden Morton led off the Bladen 7th with a single. Devan Stanley belted a single, and Luke Bryant’s fielder’s choice plated Morton to whittle the margin to 5-3.
Corben Chadwick, German, Chase Bryan, Morton and Stanley connected for 1 hit each for Bladen. German, Powell and Morton scored a run each.
Chadwick started on the mound for Bladen and pitched 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits while striking out 7. Jerod Smith worked 1 inning of relief and allowed 2 runs on a hit while striking out 1. Cole Brisson pitched a scoreless, hitless inning of relief, and struck out 1.
Columbus County 010 022 0 — 5
Bladen County 000 200 1 — 3
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