03/29/2024
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East Bladen High SchoolJunior Alex Coates pitched 6 innings of 2-hit baseball to lead East Bladen to a 9-4 Four County Conference baseball victory over Union at East Thursday night.

Coates who pitched a perfect game Monday at Wallace-Rose Hill walked a batter in the second inning, but did not allow a hit until Dawson Thornton beat out an infield hit in the fifth.

Coates was relieved by freshman Xavier Wooten after giving up a lead-off single in the sixth. Wooten allowed a walk and 2 singles as the Spartans whittled a 9-1 Eagle lead to 9-4.

East Bladen failed to score in the sixth, and Coates returned to the mound and retired the Spartans in order in the seventh. The junior right-hander struck out 5 and allowed 2 runs – one earned –on 2 hits and 2 walks. Wooten allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk, while striking out one.

Freshman Sincere Smith led off the Eagle half of the first with a single to center-field, and senior Colby Hester raked a single through the left side. Smith moved up on Kyle Tatum’s fielder’s choice and dashed home on Matthew Massengill’s sacrifice fly.

Coates raked a single through the left side that sent Tatum to second, and junior Nikita Owens lined a double to center-field that scored Tatum for a 2-0 East lead.

Tatum hammered a triple off the fence in left-centerfield to begin the Eagle third inning. Massengill knocked in Tatum with a single. Coates swatted a single to right, and Owens reached base on an error that scored Massengill.

Freshman McKinley Raynor’s fielder’s choice brought home Michael Walter, the courtesy runner for Coates. Owens darted home on a wild pitch to stretch the East lead to 6-0.

Smith yanked a single to left to begin the East fourth and moved to second on a balk. Hester smacked a single to left, and Tatum drew a walk to load the bases. Massengill’s fielder’s choice plated Smith.

Coates’ infield hit brought home Hester, and Owens’ fielder’s choice scored Tatum for a 9-0 lead.

Thornton’s infield hit, an error, a walk and fielder’s choice produced an unearned Union run in the fifth.

The Spartans bunched 3 hits, a walk and a wild pitch to produce 3 runs in the sixth inning.

Coates batted 3-4 with a run batted in. Tatum finished 2-3 with a triple and 3 runs scored. Smith turned in a 2-4 game with 2 runs scored. Hester batted 2-4 with a run scored.

Owens doubled and scored a run, and Massengill cracked one single, but drove in 3 runs.

Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles improve to 3-4 in the Four County and 7-8 overall. East Bladen will travel to Midway Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game.

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