TABOR CITY – Senior Raymond Autry stranded a potential tying run at 3rd base in the 6th inning then retired the side in order in the 7th to save a 9-8 non-conference baseball victory for East Bladen over South Columbus Friday night.
Autry relieved with 1 out in the 6th, 2 runners on base and the Eagles up 9-7. He retired Domnick Johnson on a ground-out as John Harvey Gore scored then got the next batter on a grounder to the mound. Autry struck out 2 in his perfect 1-2-3 7th inning.
The Eagles jumped in front with 4 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Senior Chase Starkloff singled, senior Ethan Johnson was hit by a pitch, and Autry walked. Junior Zamar Lewis lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Starkloff. Junior Coleman Tatum hammered a double to right that scored Johnson and Autry then raced home on an error.
A walk, 2 wild pitches, an error and a balk produced a pair of Stallion runs in the home 1st and sliced the lead to 4-2.
Junior Weston Hatcher reached base on an error to begin the Eagle 2nd inning. Starkloff forced Hatcher at 2nd base then stole 2 bases. Garrison Tatum ripped a single to center field that plated Starkloff for a 5-2 East lead.
A walk, a hit batter and an error plated a Stallion run in the home 2nd and trimmed the margin to 5-3.
Lewis led off the Eagle 3rd inning with a walk, stole 2nd base, advanced on an error and dashed home on sophomore Tyler Johnson’s sacrifice fly to pad the lead to 6-3.
Junior Marlan Davis, Starkloff and Ethan Johnson drew walks to begin the Eagle 4th inning. Davis darted home on a wild pitch, and Garrison Tatum launched a sacrifice fly that scored Starkloff and grew the East lead to 8-3.
Ellis Riggins walked and Daquan Cox doubled to start the Stallion 4th inning. Riggins scored on a wild pitch, and John Harvey Gore drove in Cox with a single that narrowed the lead to 8-5.
Domnick Johnson walked, stole 2nd and scampered home on Dalton Thompson’s single in the 5th inning to whittle the lead to 8-6.
Starkloff drew a lead-off walk in the Eagle 6th inning, stole 2nd, advanced on a balk and scampered home when Garrison Tatum drilled a single to center field to push the lead to 9-6.
A walk to Cox and singles by John Harvey Gore and Luke Stocks plated Cox in the Stallion 6th inning and pulled South to within 9-7, before Autry came on in relief to shut the door.
Garrison Tatum batted 2-for-4 with 3 runs batted in to lead the Eagle hitters. Coleman Tatum walloped the 2-run double and scored a run. Davis, Hatcher, Tyler Johnson and Starkloff collected 1 hit each. Lewis and Tyler Johnson drove in runs. Starkloff scored 4 runs. Ethan Johnson, Autry, Lewis and Davis scored 1 run each.
Coleman Tatum started on the mound and pitched 3 innings for East, allowing 3 runs – 1 earned – on a hit and 4 walks while striking out 4. Sophomore Britt Sasser pitched 2.1 innings of relief and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks while striking out 4. Autry finished up and earned the save.
Stocks and John Harvey Gore both batted 2-for-4 with an RBI each for South. Gore scored a run. Cox doubled and scored 3 runs.
Domnick Johnson pitched 2.2 innings and gave up 4 runs – 1 earned – to take the loss. Thompson, the 3rd Stallion pitcher, pitched 4 innings of relief and allowed a run on 4 hits while striking out six.
Coach Grant Pait’s Eagles, now 2-0, will travel to Wallace-Rose Hill Tuesday night.
East Bladen 411 201 0 – 9-7-4
South Columbus 210 212 0 –8-6-7
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