ST PAULS – Jaden Parker’s 2-out, 2-run walk-off single vaulted St. Pauls into 2nd place in the Southeastern Athletic Conference with a key 4-3 victory over West Bladen Tuesday night.
The Knights would have moved into 2nd place with a victory but dropped to 4th place with a 5-4 league mark and 12-6 overall record. The 2 teams will play again Wednesday night at West Bladen.
After Knight sophomore Cade Allen struck out the first 2 batters in the home 7th, T. J. Parker singled to left and sprinted to 3rd base on a pair of errors. Kemarion Baldwin walked and stole 2nd base, before Jaden Parker’s grounder through the middle scored both runners and ended the game.
It was a tough loss for the Knights who stranded 7 runners on base in the 1st 4 innings and left 9 on base in the game.
Freshman Hunter Hester reached base on an error, and senior Hunter Smith walked to start the Knight 2nd inning. Junior Andre Moore beat out a bunt single to load the bases, and senior Aaron Wren, the courtesy runner for Hester, scored on an error for a 1-0 West lead.
Zious Dorley singled and T. J. Parker walked in the Bulldog 3rd inning. Dorley stole 3rd base and scored on Baldwin’s ground-out to tie the game.
Smith dumped a single into left field to start the Knight 4th inning. Moore walked, and senior Kaden Revels lined a single to left that scored Smith for a 2-1 West lead.
C. McNeill walked in the Bulldog 4th and scored when Cameron Revels drilled a triple to right field to tie the game again 2-2.
Junior Jordan Hester ripped a single to centerfield to start the Knight 5th inning. Senior Hunter Elks walked, and freshman Joshua Dawson advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Smith launched a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Jordan Hester and put West back on top 3-2.
Hunter Hester started on the mound for the Knights and pitched 3.1 innings allowing 2 runs on 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 2. Allen relieved in the 4th inning and pitched 3.1 innings allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 4.
Jordan Hester, Smith, Kaden Revels and Allen connected for 1 hit each for the Knights. Smith and Revels had RBIs, and Smith, Wren and Jordan Hester scored runs.
T. J. Parker pitched 6 innings for the Bulldogs and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. McNeill struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 7th inning.
Cameron Revels had the RBI triple for St. Pauls. Dorley and T. J. Parker both singled and scored. Baldwin had an RBI and a run scored. Jaden Parker cracked the 2-run single.
West Bladen 010 110 0 -3-5-4
St. Pauls 001 100 2 -4-4-3
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