BLADENBORO – Seniors Bryley Williams and Alex Brisson combined to pitch a 4-hitter and strike-out 8 batters to lead West Bladen to a 10-5 non-conference baseball victory over East Columbus Thursday night.
Williams hurled 4.2 innings to pick up the win, allowing 5 runs – 4 earned – on 4 hits and 5 walks while striking out five. Brisson fired 2.1 innings of scoreless, hitless relief to pick up the save, striking out 3 and walking none.
Junior Hunter Smith was hit by a pitch to start the Knight 1st inning. Smith stole 2nd base and scooted home when senior Devon Strange rapped a single through the middle. Strange stole 2nd base and dashed home when senior Brycen Blackmon pounded a double over the left fielder’s head for a 2-0 West lead.
The Gators tied the game 2-2 in the 3rd inning on 2 walks, a wild pitch and Carter Watts’ 2-run single to left field.
Junior Kaden Revels smashed a double to center field to begin the Knight half of the third. Smith walked, and Revels advanced on a wild pitch. A Gator error on Smith’s steal of 2nd base allowed Revels to score. Smith reached 3rd base on the error then scampered home on a passed ball for a 4-2 West Bladen lead.
Two Knight errors and Wyatt Willet’s sacrifice fly produced a Gator run in the 4th inning that trimmed the margin to 4-3.
Senior Alex Strange slapped a lead-off single down the right field line in the Knight 4th inning. Sophomore Jahmar Richardson ran for Strange and advanced on an errant pick-off throw. Junior Hunter Elks high fly ball to left was dropped, and junior Bryce Fuller reached on a passed 3rd strike to load the bases.
Smith launched a sacrifice fly to left that plated Richardson. Devon Strange’s hard grounder was knocked down but resulted in an infield hit that scored Elks. Fuller sprinted home on a passed ball as the Knight lead grew to 7-3.
C.J. Waddell drew a lead-off walk, and J. J. Faulkner yanked a double down the left field line in the Gator 5th inning. Waddell darted home on a wild pitch, and Watts’ 2-out infield hit scored Faulkner and narrowed the lead to 7-5.
Blackmon reached on an error in the Knight half of the 5th, stole 2nd base, moved up on a wild pitch and dashed home on Richardson’s sacrifice fly to pad the lead to 8-5.
Junior Aaron Wren raked a single to left to begin the Knight 6th inning. Devon Strange drew a 2-out walk, and Williams knocked in Wren with a single to center field. Blackmon beat out an infield hit that scored Devon Strange with the final Knight run.
Devon Strange batted 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored to lead the Knight hitters. Blackmon also turned in a 2-for-3 game with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Revels doubled and scored a run.
Wren, Williams and Alex Strange connected for 1 hit each. Smith, Williams and Richardson had 1 RBI each. Smith scored 2 runs, and Richardson, Elks, Fuller and Wren scored 1 run each.
Linwood Stewart pitched the first 3 innings for the Gators, gave up 5 runs and was the losing pitcher. J.T. Little and Aaron Mitchell finished up on the mound for East. Watts batted 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead the East hitters. Faulkner doubled and scored 2 runs.
Coach John Ammons’ Knights, now 1-1, will travel to West Columbus Friday for a 6:30 game.
East Columbus 002 120 0 – 5-4-4
West Bladen 202 312 x – 10-8-4
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