ELIZABETHTOWN – A trio of 2-out hits in the 7th inning snapped a 5-5 tie and propelled Heide Trask to an 8-5 Waccamaw Conference baseball victory over East Bladen Friday night.
East Bladen, now 6-2 in league play and 8-8 overall, will host West Columbus Tuesday night. Trask improved to 1-5 in Waccamaw play and 4-8 overall and will visit South Columbus Tuesday night.
Senior Phil Williams was hit by a pitch and stole a base to start the Titan 7th inning. Freshman Cooper Uhland drove in Williams with a double to centerfield. Senior Nick Johnson ripped a triple to left that plated Uhland, and sophomore Brantley Lunsford’s single to center field scored Johnson and pushed the lead to 8-5.
Freshman Brian Green retired 6 of the 7 batters that he faced in the final 2 innings to pick up the win for Trask. Junior Matix Wiler pitched the 1st 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6.
Williams led off the game with a walk and scored on junior Trey Cheatham’s double to give Trask the early lead.
Freshman Jayce Hatcher drew a lead-off walk in the Eagle 2nd inning. His courtesy runner, Darius Williamson, stole 2nd base, advanced on senior Parker Greene’s fielder’s choice, then scored the tying run on senior Lee Barnes’ fielder’s choice.
In the Eagle 3rd inning, Cole Butler was hit by a pitch, stole 2nd base, advanced on Tyler Johnson’s fielder’s choice and raced home on a wild pitch for a 2-1 lead.
Nick Johnson drilled a triple in the Titan 4th inning and scored on Lunsford’s sacrifice fly to tie the game 2-2.
Sophomore Davion Lewis pounded a triple to left-center field in the East 4th inning and scored on an error. Greene drilled a triple to right field and his courtesy runner, Aiden Hargrove, raced home on Barnes’ fielder’s choice. Senior Britt Sasser laced a single to left-center field, and Butler walked. Tyler Johnson’s single drove in Barnes to stretch the Eagle lead to 5-2.
Bradford Bannerman led off the Trask 5th inning with a single, Williams walked, and Cheatham singled to load the bases. Uhland’s sacrifice fly scored Bannerman, and Nick Johnson reached base on an error that scored Williams and Cheatham to tie the score 5-5.
Lewis and Greene both batted 2-for-4 with a triple each to lead the Eagle hitters. Tyler Johnson and Sasser contributed a single each. Barnes drove in 2 runs, and Tyler Johnson had an RBI. Lewis, Barnes, Butler, Williamson and Hargrove scored runs.
Hatcher started on the mound for the Eagles and pitched 4-plus innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8. Lewis worked 3 innings of relief allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and striking out 4.
Cheatham batted 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Nick Johnson slugged 2 triples, scored twice and had an RBI. Uhland doubled and had 2 RBIs. Lunsford singled and had 2 RBIs. Williams scored 3 runs.
Heide Trask 100 130 3 — 8-9-1
East Bladen 011 300 0 — 5-6-1
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