West Bladen’s Knights travel to Ayden tonight to play the No. 11 seeded Ayden-Grifton Chargers in the opening round of the NCHSAA Class 2-A Play-offs Game-time is 7:00.
Coach Kim Cain’s Knights won 2 of 3 games last week to claim third place in the Four County Conference. Freshman Scott Bowen picked up the victory in both of those games. Bowen fired a complete game 3-hitter in the 5-3 win at Pender, then worked 4.1 innings of 3-hit relief to notch the win over East Bladen.
Junior Jeremy Hunt worked 6 innings at Clinton on the mound and finished the East Bladen game on the hill. The junior right-hander did not allow an earned run in either game.
Senior outfielder Trevor Lesane batted 7-11 and slammed 2 doubles to lead the Knight hitters in last week’s games. Hunt connected for 3 singles and a triple. Senior second-baseman Michael Pastore and senior catcher Colby McLean belted 3 hits each in the 3 games.
Junior Troy Edge batted 2-3 and sophomore shortstop Weston Pidgeon blasted a triple against East Bladen. Sophomore Trent West hammered a triple at Pender.
Coach Corey Skinner’s Chargers finished in a tie for second-place in the Eastern Carolina Conference with Greene Central. North Lenoir won the league title.
Junior Clay Wilson is the ace of the Charger pitching staff with a 6-2 record and 2.22 Earned Run Average. Wilson has struck out 68 batters in 53.2 innings. Junior John Winslow is 3-0 on the hill with a 2.33 ERA. Winslow has fanned 35 batters in 30 innings. Both are right-handers.
Senior Jackson Reckford bats a sizzling .407 with 18 runs batted in to lead the Ayden-Grifton hitters. Senior Chris Johnson has drove in 26 runs and bats .333 with one home run. Senior Hunter Cannon boasts a .338 average with 21 rbi’s and 9 doubles.
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