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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Fairmont erupted for 7 first-inning runs and outscored East Bladen 16-12 Tuesday night in Three Rivers Conference baseball action.
The Tornadoes capitalized on 4 hits, 3 walks and an error for their 7 first-inning runs. Eagle senior Sincere Smith and junior Greyson Heustess drew walks, and senior Xavier Wooten knocked in Smith with a single to leftfield.
Sophomore Gabe Barber walked, and junior Pierce Melvin smashed a double into the left field corner that scored Heustess, Wooten and Rashoid Pone, the courtesy runner for Barber, and trimmed the Fairmont lead to 7-4.
Seth Thorndyke singled and circled the bases on an error and a fielder’s choice to push the Tornado lead to 8-4 in the second inning. Fairmont used 2 hits and 2 errors to push the margin to 10-4 in the top of the third inning. Three more Tornado hits and an error stretched the lead to 12-4 in the top of the fourth.
Junior Spencer Scott and Smith belted singles to begin the East Bladen fourth inning. Scott raced home on an error as Heustess reached base on a fielder’s choice. Smith stole home on the back end of a double steal to trim the lead to 12-6.
Fairmont bunched 3 hits, a hit batter, a walk and a passed third strike to score 4 runs in the top of the fifth inning and widen the gap to 16-6.
Barber was hit by a pitch, and courtesy runner Rashoid Pone stole second base. Senior Quinton Bedsole smacked a single, and Scott cracked a single that drove in Pone to whittle the lead to 16-7.
Senior Ty Watkins hammered a triple to left-centerfield to start the Eagle sixth inning and dashed home on Shy Pone’s fielder’s choice. Freshman Brady Hollingsworth slapped a single to rightfield, and Melvin was hit by a pitch.
Freshman Zach Meares swatted a single to rightfield that drove in Josh McKoy, the courtesy runner for Hollingsworth. After Smith was hit by a pitch, Heustess laced a single to right that scored Melvin and Meares and sliced the lead to 16-11.
Watkins reached base on an error to start the seventh inning. Pinch-runner Rashoid Pone stole second base, and Hollingsworth lined a single to leftfield that plated Pone.
Smith batted a perfect 3-3 and scored 2 runs to lead the Eagle hitters. Hollingsworth also finished 2-2 at the plate with a run batted in and a run scored. Scott turned in a 3-4 day at the plate with an rbi and a run scored.
Wooten batted 3-5 with an rbi and a run scored. Heustess finished 2-3 at the plate with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Melvin slammed a double and was 2-4 with 3 rbi’s and a run scored.
Watkins batted 2-5 with a triple and a run scored. Barber, Bedsole and Meares connected for one hit each. Barber scored 2 runs, and Meares scored a run. Meares and Shy Pone drove in one run each.
Smith started on the mound for the Eagles but gave up 6 runs – 4 earned – on 3 walks and 3 hits in his 0.1 inning of work. Watkins relieved Smith in the first and worked 3.2 innings, allowing 6 runs – one earned – on 9 hits while striking out five.
Melvin pitched the final 3 innings and struck out nine batters, while giving up 4 runs – 3 earned – on 3 hits, a walk and a hit batter.
Seth Thorndyke batted 4-5 to lead the Fairmont hitters. Teammates Mason Locklear and Randy Floyd both batted 2-5. Sophmore Andrew Smith picked up the victory in relief of Marcus Ransom.
East Bladen will travel to St. Pauls Friday night.
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