BLADENBORO – Sophomore Hunter Hester, freshman Ashton Davis and junior Garrett Dunham combined on a 3-hitter Tuesday night as West Bladen opened Southeastern Athletic Conference baseball action with a 4-2 victory over Clinton.
Coach Wade Pait’s Knights improved to 4-5 overall and will travel to Clinton Wednesday night for a rematch with the Dark Horses.
Hunter Hester started on the hill and pitched 5 innings allowing an unearned run on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Davis worked 0.1 innings of relief and gave up a run on 2 walks while striking out 1. Dunham picked up the save retiring all 5 batters that he faced and striking out 3 of them.
The Knights grabbed an early 2-0 lead against Clinton ace Brennon Bell with a pair of 2nd inning runs. Senior Jordan Hester smacked a single to center field but was forced at 2nd by junior Aiden Russ. Sophomore Josh Dawson reached on an error, and Dunham ripped a single to left that scored Russ and Mason Jones, the courtesy runner for Dawson.
West Bladen tacked on 2 more runs in the 3rd inning. Junior Allister Russ swatted a single to center field, and Jordan Hester drilled a single to right. Aiden Russ walked, and Dawson lined a single to center that scored Allister Russ. Senior Jahmar Richardson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that forced home Jones, the courtesy runner for Dawson.
The Dark Horses trimmed the lead to 4-1 in the 4th on 2 hits, a passed ball and an error. Senior Nelson Vann’s single drove in Jaxson Smith who had singled. Two hit batters and 2 walks produced the final Clinton run in the 6th.
Jordan Hester batted 2-for-2 with a run scored to lead the Knight hitters. Dawson finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run batted in. Dunham and Allister Russ belted singles. Dunham had 2 RBIs, and Richardson had an RBI. Allister Russ, Aiden Russ and Jones scored runs.
Bell, a sophomore, pitched 4 innings and allowed 4 runs – 2 earned – on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Sophomore Roady Carter gave up a hit and a walk in 2 scoreless innings of relief while striking out 3.
Smith singled and scored twice to lead the Clinton hitters. Vann had the RBI hit, Camden Davis added a single, and Carter had an RBI.
Clinton 000 101 0 — 2-3-2
West Bladen 022 000 x — 4-6-1
About Author
