ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior lefthander Ty Watkins pitched a complete game 4-hitter Tuesday night to lead East Bladen to a 9-1 Four County Conference baseball victory over West Bladen.
Watkins struck out four, walked five and stranded eleven Knights on base. “Ty is deceiving,” said East Bladen Coach Russell Priest. “His ball looks like it is breaking away from the hitters when it isn’t.”
The Eagles jumped in front early as junior Sincere Smith drew a one-out first-inning walk, stole second base and took third on a throwing error. Senior Kyle Tatum knocked him in with a single to centerfield.
Dan Tatum, the courtesy runner for his brother Kyle, moved to second on an infield out and raced home on junior Xavier Wooten’s single to centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
Kyle Tatum led off the Eagle third with a single to centerfield, and Watkins laced a single to centerfield. Wooten beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Junior Quinton Bedsole lifted a sacrifice fly to leftfield that scored Dan Tatum, the courtesy runner for Kyle.
Josh McKoy, the courtesy runner for Watkins, dashed home on a wild pitch, and junior Brooks McGill rapped a seeing-eye single through the middle that scored Wooten. Junior Deondre Newkirk beat out a bunt single, and McGill scooted home from second base on the play to boost the lead to 6-0.
Trent West drew a walk to start the Knight fourth inning. Two outs later freshman Logan West walked, and junior Trey Storms belted a single to centerfield that scored Jonathan Ashworth, the courtesy runner for Trent West.
The Eagles padded their lead with 3 runs in the sixth inning. Sophmore Shy Pone legged out an infield hit, and Smith walked. Kyle Tatum beat out an infield hit, and Pone darted home from second base on the play. Wooten raked a single to left that scored Smith, and Dan Tatum dashed home on a passed ball.
Kyle Tatum and Xavier Wooten both batted 3-4 and drove in 2 runs each to lead the East Bladen hitters. McGill finished 2-4 at the plate with a run batted in and a run scored.
Pone, Newkirk, Watkins and Greyson Heustess added one hit each. Dan Tatum scored 3 runs, Smith scored twice and Pone, McKoy, and Wooten scored one run each.
“The bats woke up,” said Coach Priest. “We have been hitting some but we really put the bat on the ball tonight, and we played good defense.”
Senior Weston Pidgeon batted 2-4 to lead the Knight hitters. Storms delivered the run-scoring single, and Jarrett Williams added a single. Ashworth scored the run.
Trent West started and pitched 5.1 innings for West Bladen, and Williams relieved and retired the final 2 batters in the sixth inning.
“They hit the ball and we beat the ball into the dirt,” said Knight Coach Kim Cain.
The Eagles improved to 8-2 in league play and 9-4 overall. East Bladen will play Saturday at 4 p.m. against E. E. Smith in the J. Hoyt Warren/Wayne Edwards Easter Tournament at Douglas Byrd.
West Bladen drops to 7-2 in the Four County and 9-6 overall. West Bladen travels to Union Wednesday night at 6:30 for a Four County make-up game.
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