A 7-run, fourth-inning explosion broke open a 3-2 game and carried Midway’s Raiders to a 14-2 Four County Conference baseball victory at West Bladen Friday night in the league opener for both teams.
Midway, the defending state Class 2-A champions, slugged their way to the early lead as senior pitcher Matt Barefoot led off the game with a home run over the left-centerfield fence.
The Knights pulled even in the bottom of the second as juniors Troy Edge and Chandler Lennon drew 2-out walks. Edge raced to third base on a wild pitch and scored the tying run when Seth Britt raked a single into left field.
With one out in the Midway third inning, catcher Kyle Hawley slapped a single to right field, and senior Tyler Pope clubbed a 2-run homer down the left-field line that put the Raiders up 3-1.
Back came the Knights in the bottom half as junior Jeremy Hunt drew a walk and senior Trevor Lesane smacked a single to right field.
After the Midway shortstop made a diving stop on Trent West’s grounder and forced Lesane at second, senior Michael Pastore launched a sacrifice fly to center-field that brought in Hunt and trimmed the lead to 3-2.
The Raiders sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth inning. Two walks and one-out singles by Barefoot and Trey Wood pushed the margin to 4-2. Hawley greeted relief pitcher Mason Hester with a 2-run single to right-field.
Two walks, two hit batters and a wild pitch produced 4 more runs and widened the gap to 10-2, before Hunt relieved Hester and finished the inning.
Midway used 3 hits, 2 walks and an error to pad the lead with 4 runs in the fifth.
Lesane, Britt and Colby McLean connected for one hit each for West Bladen. Pastore and Britt had one run batted in each, and Hunt and Edge scored the Knight runs.
West pitched the first 3.1 innings and struck out five, while giving up 7 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Hester worked .1 inning and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. Hunt pitched the final 1.1 inning and gave up 4 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and an error.
Barefoot picked up the win with 4 innings on the hill. The senior left-hander allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks, while striking out six. Junior left-hander Dylan Hardison pitched the fifth inning and struck out two, while giving up one hit.
Barefoot batted 3-4 with a home run and 2 runs-batted-in. Pope hammered the 2-run homer and batted 2-3. Hawley was 2-3 with 2 rbi’s, and Wood batted 2-4 with an rbi.
West Bladen is now 2-1 overall and will host East Columbus Monday at 5 p.m.
About Author
