RED SPRINGS – Red Springs rallied for a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning to edge West Bladen 7-6 Friday night in Three Rivers Conference baseball action.
Sophmore Dawson Bryan was hit by a pitch to start the Knight first inning and advanced on junior Dalton Pait’s sacrifice bunt and sophmore Logan West’s fielder’s choice. Senior Scott Bowen knocked in Bryan with a single.
After the Red Devils tied the game 1-1, West Bladen exploded with 4 runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. Junior David Valenta reached base on an error, Bryan was hit by a pitch, and Pait laid down a bunt single to load the bases.
Bowen laced a single to rightfield that scored Valenta. Sophmore Jake Butler’s fielder’s choice plated Bryan. A throwing error on senior Trey Storms’ grounder to short scored Pait and Bowen.
The Knight lead grew to 6-1 in the top of the fourth. Nolan Bryant reached base on a throwing error by the Red Devil secondbaseman, and Valenta sacrificed him to second base. Bryan beat out an infield hit, and an error on Pait’s pop-up scored Bryant.
The Red Devils scored 4 runs in the home half of the fourth then used 2 hits and 2 errors to score the tying and winning runs in the sixth.
West pitched the four-plus innings for the Knights, and junior Derrick Long pitched the final 2 innings.
Bowen batted 2-4 with 2 runs batted in to lead the Knight hitters. Bryan, Pait and Bryant connected for one hit each.
The Knights will host East Columbus Tuesday night.
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