BLADENBORO – Junior Brycen Blackmon knocked in the go-ahead runs with a 6th inning single as West Bladen outlasted Red Springs 12-8 in Three Rivers Conference baseball action Tuesday night.
Senior Dorian Bryant’s bases-loaded double had keyed a 4-run Red Springs rally in the top of the 6th that tied the game 8-8.
Junior Bryley Williams ignited the winning Knight rally with a 1-out single then stole 2nd and 3rd bases. Sophomore Michael Young was hit by a pitch then stole 2nd base. One out later Blackmon ripped his single through the middle that scored Williams and Young for a 10-8 lead.
Blackmon moved to 3rd base on a passed ball as sophomore Hunter Elks walked. Blackmon dashed home on a passed ball. Elks moved up on the play then stole 3rd base and scampered home on a throwing error to pad the lead to 12-8.
Young came on to pitch a scoreless 7th inning with 2 strike-outs to pick up the save. Williams picked up the win by pitching the 6th inning. Junior Josh Russ pitched the 1st 5 innings for the Knights and allowed 4 runs – 2 earned – on 4 hits and a walk while striking out seven.
Blackmon led the Knight hitters batting 2-4 with 3 runs batted in and a run scored. Junior Alex Brisson smashed a double and scored a run. Junior Devon Strange cracked a single, scored twice and had 2 RBIs.
Sophomore Hunter Smith drove in 2 runs with a single and scored a run. Williams singled and scored 2 runs, and Elks scored twice. Young, sophomore Kaden Revels and sophomore Bryce Fuller scored runs. Young and Fuller drove in runs.
Senior Terrance Barefield led off the Red Devil 1st inning with a single and circled the bases on a balk, a stolen base and Skylar Locklear’s bunt for a 1-0 lead.
The Knights answered with 5 runs in their half of the first. Strange drew a lead-off walk, and Brisson drilled a double to leftfield. Smith beat out an infield hit that scored Strange. Williams was hit by a pitch, and Young drove home Brisson with a sacrifice fly to left.
Revels walked, and Blackmon smacked a single that brought home Smith for a 3-1 lead. Fuller walked to force home Williams, and Strange was hit by a pitch to force home Revels and stretch the Knight lead to 5-1.
Lenny Berrios reached base on an error in the Red Springs 2nd inning, stole a base and sprinted home on Jaylon Lowery’s sacrifice fly to whittle the lead to 5-2.
Elks walked, and Fuller reached base on a passed 3rd strike to start the West 2nd inning. Strange spanked a single to right that scored Elks. Brisson reached base on an error that scored Fuller, and Smith reached on an error that scored Strange and boosted the Knight lead to 8-2.
Berrios singled in the Red Devil 4th and circled the bases on a stolen base, an error and another Lowery sacrifice fly. Barefield singled, stole a base and eventually scored on Locklear’s sacrifice fly to close the gap to 8-4 in the 5th inning.
After Locklear gave up 5 runs in 0.1 innings to start the game, senior Aaron Goins relieved and pitched 5.1 innings allowing 6 runs – 3 earned – on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out six. Barefield came on to get the final out in the sixth.
Barefield batted 3-for-3 and scored 3 runs for the Red Devils. Lowery batted 2-for-2 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored. Bryant delivered the 3-run double.
Coach John Ammons’ Knights evened their TRC record at 1-1 and are 2-5 overall. West Bladen will travel to East Columbus Friday night.
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