[slideshow_deploy id=’9151′]
Back-to-back doubles by senior Trevor Lesane and sophmore Trent West keyed a 3-run third inning that propelled West Bladen to a 4-2 Four County Conference baseball victory at East Bladen Tuesday night.
The Knights led 1-0 when junior Seth Britt walked to begin the West Bladen third. An errant pick-off throw sent Britt to second, and junior Jeremy Hunt swatted a single to right field that put Britt at third base.
After Hunt stole second base, Lesane drilled a double to right-centerfield that drove in Britt and Hunt. West then hammered a double to right-centerfield that brought home Lesane and pushed the lead to 4-0.
The Eagles bounced right back in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Sincere Smith and sophmore Kyle Tatum smacked singles to start the inning. After senior Matthew Massengill walked to load the bases, a wild pitch brought home Smith and Tatum darted home on junior Alex Coates’ ground ball to trim the margin to 4-2.
Junior pitcher Chandler Lennon yanked a single to rightfield to start the Knight fourth, but Eagle rightfielder Joe Strait made a diving catch on Weston Pidgeon’s liner and doubled Lennon’s courtesy runner off of second base to end the threat.
The Eagles put two runners on base in the sixth as freshman McKinley Raynor walked and junior Tyquan McMillian was hit by pitch. With one out Knight thirdbaseman Troy Edge grabbed a ground ball near the bag, stepped on third for the force and fired across to firstbaseman Jarrett Williams for the double play that ended the threat.
Lennon went the distance on the hill for the Knights, pitching a 3-hitter and striking out 8. Smith pitched 6.1 innings for the Eagles and gave up 5 hits while striking out two. Coates came on to get the final 2 outs in the seventh.
Lesane’s 2-run double led the Knight hitters. West was also 1-2 with an rbi double. Hunt, Lennon and Pidgeon added one hit each for the winners.
The first Knight run was the result of ‘small ball’ in the opening inning. Britt was hit by pitch and was running as Hunt laid down a bunt. Britt never stopped running as the throw sailed wide to first base and he came home on the error.
Smith, Raynor and Tatum collected one hit each for East Bladen. Smith and Tatum scored one run each.
The Eagles, now 1-3 in the league and 3-6 overall, will host Clinton today (Wednesday) at 6:30. West Bladen, now 3-1 in the league and 5-1 overall, will open the Robeson County Slugfest Saturday at 1 p.m. against Red Springs at St. Pauls.
About Author
