ROWLAND – Jeremy Hunt pitched a two-hit shutout and Trent West went 4-for-4 to lead a 15-hit attack as West Bladen beat South Robeson on Thursday night in a game played in a steady rain and stopped after five innings.
Hunt, a senior right-hander, struck out four, walked none and threw 64 pitches as the Knights won their first game. He allowed a lead off double to Branjer Jones in the second inning and a two-out fifth-inning single to Caleb Hunt.
West ripped four singles, scored once and drove in three runs as West Bladen scored in every inning. Seth Britt was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Troy Edge was 1-for-4 with a two-run double. Hunter Pait and Ray Jones each had RBI singles. Jonathan Ashworth, Jarrett Williams, Scott Bowen, Brandon Carson, Weston Pigeon and Hunt each had one hit.
The West Bladen defense turned in an error-less performance.
The Knights scored single runs in each of the first three innings.
In the first, Hunt ripped a one-out double to right. Courtesy runner Ashworth moved to third on a ground out and scored on West’s single up the middle.
In the second, Carson had a one-out double as the South Robeson left fielder lost the ball in the lights. Courtesy runner Caleb Sholar moved to third and a ground out and scored on Britt’s single up the middle.
In the third, Williams singled, moved on second on West’s single, went on third on a double steal and scored on a wild pitch.
West Bladen broke open the game with five runs in the fourth inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and smashing five hits for an 8-0 lead.
Pidgeon slapped a one-out single to left to get the rally started. Britt followed with a single. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. West ripped a single to left that scored Pidgeon and Britt. Bowen walked to load the bases again. Edge lined a double to right-center that brought home Williams and West. Jones lined a single to center that drove home Bowen with the final run of the rally.
West Bladen capped on a final run in the fifth. Ashworth had a one-out single, but was forced at second on Cody Garner’s grounder to second. West cracked his fourth single down the left field line that sent Garner to second. Pinch-hitter Pait then blooped a single to right that scored Garner.
West Bladen is 1-1 and is scheduled to host St. Pauls on Saturday at approximately 3 p.m. The West Bladen-St. Pauls junior varsity teams are scheduled to play at noon.
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