BLADENBORO – Three West Bladen errors aided a 5-run Fairmont 6th inning that carried the Golden Tornadoes to an 8-4 Southeastern Athletic Conference baseball victory Tuesday night.
Junior Noah Parker hammered a triple in the Tornado 1st inning and sprinted home when senior Cameron Hodge lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.
West Bladen tied the game 1-1 in the home 2nd inning. Senior Alex Strange raked a base hit through the middle, and junior Hunter Elks slammed a double to left that scored Alex Strange.
The Knights moved ahead 2-1 in the 3rd inning. Devon Strange drew a 2-out walk and stole 2nd base. Senior Bryley Williams reached base on a passed 3rd strike that sent Strange to 3rd base, and pitcher Nate Jones balked Devon Strange home to put West up 2-1.
Fairmont tied the game 2-2 in the 5th inning as Nate Jones rapped a single to center field then stole 2 bases and scored on NyNy Cromartie’s fielder’s choice.
Junior Malachi Gales scorched a double to center field to ignite the Tornado 6th inning. Hodge ripped a single to left that plated Gales with the go-ahead run. Consecutive Knight errors produced another run. Freshman Mynkoda Smith clubbed a 2-run double, and another West error scored Smith and pushed the lead to 7-2.
Gales walked and darted home on Kenley Callahan’s single to pad the lead to 8-2 in the top of the 7th inning.
Senior Alex Brisson lined a single to left to begin the Knight 7th inning and scooted home when sophomore Jahmar Richardson crushed a triple to right field. After Aaron Wren was hit by a pitch, Richardson sprinted home on a passed ball to trim the final margin to 8-4.
Hodge batted 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Tornado hitters. Parker finished 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Ridge Walters batted 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI.
Jones pitched 6.2 innings and struck out 9 batters to pick up the victory allowing only 2 earned runs Callahan came on in relief to strike out the final batter.
Junior Garrison Carr started and pitched 5.1 innings for the Knights allowing 6 runs – 3 earned – on 7 hits while striking out four. Brisson hurled the final 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs – 1 earned – on 3 hits and a walk while striking out one.
Richardson batted 2-for-3 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI to lead the Knight hitters. Elks doubled home a run. Alex Strange and Brisson both singled and scored runs.
Fairmont remained unbeaten in SAC-7 play at 3-0 and is 7-1 overall. West Bladen, now 0-3 in league play and 4-5 overall, will travel to Fairmont Friday night for a return match.
Fairmont 100 015 1 – 8-10-0
West Bladen 011 000 2 – 4- 5- 3
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