BURGAW –Senior Jake Futrell pitched a 2-hitter and struck out 12 batters Monday night to lead East Bladen to an 11-1 run-rule victory over Pender in Waccamaw Conference baseball action.
Coach Grant Pait’s Eagles improved to 4-1 in Waccamaw play and evened their overall record at 5-5. If umpires can be found, a return match with Pender will be played at East Bladen Tuesday night. If umpires can’t be found, it will be played Wednesday night.
Eagle senior Tyler Johnson raked a single to shortstop to start the game then stole 2 bases. Futrell was hit by a pitch. Courtesy runner Andrew Musselwhite stole a base, before senior Parker Greene knocked in both runners with a single. Sophomore Davion Lewis ripped a single, and freshman Jayce Hatcher spanked a single to center that loaded the bases. Senior Lee Barnes swatted a single to right that plated Aiden Hargrove, the courtesy runner for Greene.
Desmond Cromartie reached base on a 2-out error then scored the Patriot run on Ryan Howell’s single to trim the margin to 3-1. Howell batted 2-for-3 with the RBI to lead the Pender hitters. Cromartie gave up 9 runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings on the mound for the Patriots and struck out 6 batters.
Lewis was hit by a pitch, and Hatcher cracked a single in the Eagle 3rd inning. D.A. Smith beat out an infield hit that scored Lewis. Barnes drove in Hatcher and Smith with a single. After Barnes stole a base, Johnson smacked a single that scored him and pushed the lead to 7-1.
Johnson was hit by a pitch then stole a base in the Eagle 5th inning then raced home when Futrell drilled a single to right. Musselwhite, the runner for Futrell, dashed home on Lewis’ sacrifice fly to grow the lead to 9-1.
Smith smashed a single to center, and senior Kalec Autry reached base on an error. Smith darted home on a passed ball. A Pender error sent Autry to 3rd base, and Carson Gooden pounded a single to right that scored Autry and grew the lead to 11-1.
Barnes batted 2-for-3 with 3 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Eagle attack. Smith finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Hatcher batted 2-for-2 with a run scored. Johnson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Futrell, Greene, Lewis and Gooden collected 1 hit each. Greene had 2 RBIs, and Futrell, Lewis and Gooden had 1 RBI each. Musselwhite scored 2 runs, and Autry, Lewis and Hargrove scored 1 run each.
East Bladen 304 022 — 11-12-2
Pender 100 000 — 1- 2-3
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