Junior Alex Coates fired a 4-hit shut-out and struck out 8 batters to lead East Bladen to a 6-0 baseball victory at Union Thursday night in the Four County Conference opener for both teams.
Senior Colby Hester drew a one-out walk in the Eagle first inning, stole second and third bases and scored when senior Matthew Massengill ripped a 2-out single to left field.
The Eagles tacked on 2 more runs in the third inning. Freshman Sincere Smith led off with a walk and moved to second base when the Spartan right-fielder dropped Hester’s fly ball.
Sophomore Kyle Tatum walked to load the bases, and Smith raced home on a wild pitch. Senior Farrell Murchison’s ground ball plated Hester with the second run of the inning and put the Eagles up 3-0.
Junior Nikita Owens beat out an infield hit to shortstop to begin the Eagle fourth inning. Nathan Sanders advanced Owens with a sacrifice bunt. Junior Tyquan McMillian legged out a bunt single.
Smith’s speed produced another bunt single that scored Owens. Hester’s infield hit loaded the bases, and Tatum’s fielder’s choice brought home McMillian for a 5-0 East lead.
Tatum laced a single to right field to start the Eagle seventh inning. Tatum stole second base and went to third on Massengill’s fielder’s choice. Murchison pulled a ground ball to first that plated Tatum with the final East Bladen run.
Hester turned in a 2-3 day at the plate with 2 runs scored to lead the Eagle hitters. Smith batted 2-4 with a run batted in and a run scored. Massengill finished 2-4 at the plate with an rbi.
Owens also batted 2-4 and scored a run, and McMillian was 1-2 with a run scored. Tatum had a single, an rbi and a run scored, and Coates added a single to the 11-hit East Bladen attack.
Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles are 1-0 in the Four County and 3-2 overall. East Bladen will host Midway Tuesday night.
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