03/28/2024
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East Bladen erupted for seven runs in the fifth inning Tuesday night and beat rival West Bladen 14-4 at Russell Priest Field in the final nonconference baseball game for both teams.

The East Bladen field was named in honor of Priest prior to the game. Priest coached at the school for 44 years. He died last year.

Zach Meares and Raymond Autry each drove in two runs and three East Bladen pitchers combined on a three-hitter. The Eagles (3-3) are scheduled to play at Whiteville on Friday in their Three Rivers Conference opener.

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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong

Hunter Elks walked twice and scored and Bryley Williams belted a triple for West Bladen (1-4). The Knights are scheduled to play at Fairmont on Friday.

Coleman Tatum was the winning pitcher. The right-hander allowed a pair of runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three innings. Grayson Clark pitched an inning and was charged with a pair of runs. He retired West Bladen on three pitches in the fourth inning. Evan Pait came to the mound in the fifth.

Josh Russ, the first of four West Bladen pitchers, took the loss. He went 2.2 innings and gave up seven runs – four earned – on five hits with three walks, two strikeouts and two hit batters. Eight of East Bladen’s runs were unearned as the Knights made five errors.

East Bladen scored in the first inning when Ethan Johnson was hit by a pitch and later scored on Jacob Priest’s two-out single.

The Knights tied it in the top of the second. Devon Strange singled, moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a single by Michael Young.

East Bladen regained the lead in the second. Autry single, went to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a fly out by Rasean McKoy and scored on Meares’ single to left.

Again, West Bladen tied it in the top of third. Elks walked and advanced to third with a pair of stolen bases. He scored on Williams’ two-out triple to deep center field.

East Bladen took control with five runs in the bottom of the third for a 7-2 lead. The Eagles batted around and used run-producing singles by Autry and McKoy, three walks and three West Bladen errors.

West Bladen cut it to 7-4 in the top of the fifth. Walks to Elks and Bryce Fuller and three wild pitches plated the runs.

East Bladen sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and ended the game when Meares drew a bases loaded walk that put the Eagles ahead by 10 runs. Meares, Lefredrick Wooten, Pait, Autry and McKoy each had hits in the inning. Pait’s hit was a triple into the gap in right-center. Autry’s hit was a double to the fence down the left field line.

https://bladencounty.org/east-bladen-names-baseball-field-in-honor-of-former-coach-russell-priest/

https://bladencounty.org/couch-potato-naming-field-for-russell-priest-is-well-deserved-honor/

 

 

 

 

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