ROWLAND – West Bladen exploded for ten runs in the third inning Tuesday night en route to a 13-2 Three Rivers Conference baseball victory over South Robeson.
Senior Dalton Pait lined a lead-off double to left field in the first inning and advanced on junior Dawson Bryan’s fielder’s choice. After junior Nolan Bryant walked, senior Jeremy Pait smoked a single through the middle that scored Dalton Pait for a 1-0 Knight lead.
Senior Shawn Oxendine was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced on junior Braylon Williamson’s fielder’s choice in the Knight second inning. Freshman Devon Strange lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Oxendine for a 2-0 lead.
Mathew Chavis singled in the Mustang second, stole 2 bases and scored on Andrew Chavis’ bunt single to slice the lead to 2-1.
Junior Logan West and Bryan smacked singles to left field to begin the Knight third inning. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and both West and Bryan scored as Bryant reached base on an error. Junior Colby White slapped a single to left. Oxendine reached base on a passed third strike that scored Bryant.
Williamson blasted a home run to left field that scored White and Oxendine. Strange walked, stole second and reached third on an error, before West knocked him in with his second hit of the inning. Bryan and Bryant drew walks, and Jeremy Pait singled off the pitcher to score West. White smashed a single to right field that scored Bryan and Bryant for a 12-1 Knight lead.
Brandon Hunt cracked a single in the Mustang third and circled the bases on a couple of errors to trim the margin to 12-2.
Senior Edgar Fuentes-Garcia led off the Knight fourth with a single, and Dalton Pait and West reached base on errors. Fuentes-Garcia was forced out at the plate, but Bryant walked to force home Dalton Pait with the final Knight run.
White batted 2-3 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Knight hitters. Jeremy Pait finished 2-4 at the plate with 2 rbi’s. West batted 2-4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Williamson slugged the 3-run homer.
Dalton Pait doubled and scored twice. Bryan and Fuentes-Garcia added one hit each. Bryan, Bryant and Oxendine scored two runs each, and Strange scored a run. Bryant drove in 3 runs, and Oxendine and Strange had one rbi each.
White pitched 3 innings to pick up the win and allowed 2 runs – one earned – on 5 hits and a walk while striking out one. Senior Derrick Long worked 2 innings of hitless, scoreless relief and struck out two.
Hunt batted 2-2 with a run scored to lead the Mustang hitters. Jordan Barfield started on the mound for South Robeson and took the loss.
Coach John Ammons’ Knights have won 4 of their last 5 games to improve to 5-7 in the TRC and 6-8 overall. The Knights are scheduled to travel to Clinton Wednesday night for a non-conference game.
About Author
