[slideshow_deploy id=’85468′]
Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior Sincere Smith pitched a 2-hitter and struck out 7 batters Tuesday night to lead East Bladen to an 11-1 Four County Conference mercy-rule baseball victory over Union.
The victory moves Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles into a first-place tie in the Four County standings with West Bladen and Midway – all 3 teams have 5-1 league records. East Bladen has a 6-3 overall record.
Union scored a first-inning run when Dawson Thornton beat out an infield hit, stole second base and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the first, senior Kyle Tatum and junior Xavier Wooten drew 2-out walks, and junior Ty Watkins stroked a single to centerfield that drove in Dan Tatum, the courtesy runner for Kyle Tatum, and tied the game 1-1.
A 6-run Eagle third-inning broke the game open. Sophmore Shy Pone drew a one-out walk, and Smith ripped a single to centerfield. Kyle Tatum hammered a double over the centerfielder’s head that scored Pone and Smith.
Wooten walked, and an errant pick-off attempt scored Dan Tatum who was running for Kyle Tatum. Watkins yanked a single to rightfield that scored Wooten, and junior Brooks McGill smashed a double to right-centerfield that scored Watkins.
Sophmore Greyson Heustess swatted a single to centerfield that plated McGill and padded the Eagle lead to 7-1.
The Eagles ended the game with 4 runs in the sixth inning. Junior Deondre Newkirk led off with a single, stole second and advanced on Pone’s sacrifice. Smith beat out a bunt single that scored Newkirk.
Kyle Tatum knocked in Smith with a single to right-centerfield. Courtesy runner Dan Tatum stole second and third bases, and Wooten walked. Watkins beat out an infield hit that plated Dan Tatum, and McGill lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought home Wooten with the final run.
Watkins batted a perfect 4-4 with 3 runs batted in and a run scored. Smith finished 3-4 at the plate with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Kyle Tatum was 2-3 with a double and 3 rbi’s. McGill doubled, drove in 2 runs and scored one.
Heustess cracked the rbi single, and Pone and Newkirk added one hit and one run scored each. Wooten scored 2 runs.
East Bladen will travel to Midway Thursday night for a showdown with first-place implications.
About Author
