ROWLAND – For the second consecutive night, West Bladen lost on a walk-off bloop hit in extra innings as South Robeson defeated the Knights 8-7 in 8 innings Wednesday night.
The Knights trailed 7-3 entering the top of the seventh inning, but senior Weston Pidgeon led off with a single, and freshman Logan West walked. Senior Jarrett Williams laced a single past the firstbaseman to load the bases.
Senior Trent West then crushed a long grand-slam home run over the left-centerfield fence to tie the game. “Trent hit it in the top of the trees,” said Knight Coach Kim Cain. “It was way out of there. I would have liked to have seen where it would have went with those old (hotter) bats that we used to have.”
The Knights reloaded the bases later in the inning, but could not score as the Mustang second baseman ranged into the hole to take a hit away from Pidgeon. West Bladen put two more runners on in the eighth, but junior Scott Bowen’s liner was flagged by the secondbaseman.
In the Mustang eighth, an infield hit, a stolen base and a 2-out bloop produced the game-winner. “Scott jammed him good,” said Coach Cain. “He barely got it over the infield.”
Senior Caleb Sholar pitched the first 4 innings for the Knights, and Bowen relieved and worked the final 3.2 innings on the mound.
Pidgeon batted 3-5 to lead the Knight hitters. Senior Jarrett Williams doubled and singled and drove in a run. Trent West slugged the home run and a double and drove in 5 runs. Bowen finished 2-5 at the plate with a run batted in, and Logan West added a single.
Pidgeon led off the game with a single and moved to second base on Logan West’s sacrifice bunt. Bowen knocked in Pidgeon with a 2-out single to right-centerfield.
The Mustangs tied the game 1-1, but the Knights scored 2 runs in the top of the third to go up 3-1. Pidgeon started the inning with a single but was thrown out stealing.
Logan West reached base on a passed third strike and raced home when Williams smashed a double to the fence in right-centerfield. Trent West hammered a double to the fence in left-centerfield that scored Williams.
The Mustangs scored one run in the third, 2 runs in the fourth and 3 more in the fifth to take the 7-3 lead.
The Knights will host St. Pauls Friday night at 7:00.
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