Senior Alex Coates pitched a complete-game 4-hitter as the East Bladen Eagles remained unbeaten in Four County Conference play with a 9-1 victory over visiting Wallace-Rose Hill Thursday night.
Coates struck out 6 and walked 3 as he raised his season record to 6-1. Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles remained tied for first-place in the Four County with a 5-0 record. East Bladen is 9-3 overall.
The Bulldogs plated their only run in the top of the first as Marshall Matthews singled and raced home on Jacob Teachey’s double down the leftfield line.
Sophmore Sincere Smith ripped a single through the middle to begin the Eagle first then stole second base. Sophmore Deondre Newkirk laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Teachey’s throwing error on the play scored Smith.
Newkirk was retired on junior Kyle Tatum’s fielder’s choice, but Tatum stole second base and dashed home when senior Nikita Owens rapped a single through the middle for a 2-1 East Bladen lead.
Smith lined a double to centerfield in the third inning, stole third base and darted home on a wild pitch to push the Eagle lead to 3-1.
Sophmore Ty Watkins parachuted a single between the shortstop and the centerfielder to start the East fourth inning. Sophmore Xavier Wooten belted a single past the shortstop, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.
Freshman Greyson Heustess laced a 2-out single to right-centerfield that scored Watkins and Wooten. Smith delivered his third straight hit to centerfield, and Heustess scooted home on a passed ball for a 6-1 Eagle lead.
Tatum smacked a single to left field to begin the Eagle fifth inning. Owens was hit by a pitch, and Watkins drilled a single to centerfield to load the bases. Sophmore Quinton Bedsole knocked in Tatum and Owens with a single to leftfield that padded the lead to 8-1.
Smith cracked his fourth hit of the game in the sixth inning, and Newkirk was safe when nobody covered first on his sacrifice bunt. Smith was caught in a rundown on the play, but Newkirk scampered around to third base. Tatum swatted a single to left that drove in Newkirk with the final Eagle run.
Smith posted his second straight 4-4 game that included a double and 2 runs scored. Smith has hit safely in his last 9 plate appearances and has reached base in 12 straight trips to the plate (10 hits, a walk and an error).
Watkins finished 2-3 at the plate with a run scored. Tatum was 2-4 with a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Heustess and Bedsole both contributed 2-run singles, and Owens added an rbi single. Wooten had the other East Bladen hit. Heustess, Owens, Newkirk and Wooten scored one run each.
East Bladen will host Midway Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
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