03/28/2024
Baseball
Spread the love

BaseballJunior Chandler Lennon pitched 6 strong innings, and senior Trevor Lesane slugged a 2-run homer to lead West Bladen to a 9-1 non-conference baseball victory at West Columbus Tuesday night.

Lennon struck out 6, walked 3 and allowed one run on 7 hits. Senior Mason Hester came on in relief to pitch a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two, hitting a batter and giving up one hit.

Shortstop Weston Pidgeon walked, and junior Jeremy Hunt was hit by a pitch to begin the game. Lesane smashed a single in front of the leftfielder to load the bases.

Sophomore Trent West was robbed of a grand-slam homer by the Viking leftfielder who leaned back over the fence for the catch. Pidgeon scored on the sacrifice fly, and Hunt went to third.

Hunt broke for the plate and stole home as the Viking pitcher was attempting a pick-off at first base. Lesane also stole second base on the play.

Senior catcher Colby McLean knocked in Lesane with what Coach Kim Cain called, “the world’s longest single.” McLean hammered the ball to the fence in centerfield, but the Vikings star outfielder Eric Jenkins made a strong throw back in to hold McLean to a single. However the Knights led 3-0.

Senior Michael Pastore cracked a single to start the West Bladen fourth inning. Pastore moved up on McLean’s sacrifice bunt and raced home as the Vikings made a throwing error on Lennon’s ground ball.

In the Knight sixth, Hunt drew a walk, and Lesane drilled a line drive 2-run homer to left-centerfield to pad the lead to 6-0.

Catcher Cole Strickland knocked in the Viking run in the bottom of the sixth to trim the margin to 6-1.

Lennon launched a drive to left that the Viking fielder dropped to begin the top of the seventh. Seth Britt walked, and Pidgeon advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt.

One out later, the Vikings intentionally walked Lesane to load the bases. West drew a walk to force in a run, and Pastore drove in Britt and Lesane with a 2-run single.

The Vikings loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but rightfielder Hunt made an over-the-shoulder running catch to save at least 3 runs.

Lesane finished 2-4 at the plate with the 2-run homer. Pastore batted 2-5 with 2 runs batted in, and McLean also batted 2-4 with an rbi.

Sophomore Gage Hammonds was 2-4 to lead the Viking hitters, and Strickland had the run-scoring single. Senior Chandler Nobles started on the mound and was the losing pitcher.

“This was a big win for us,” said Coach Cain. “That’s a good team over there. They didn’t throw their ace tonight, but it was still a big win.”

The Knights improved to 2-0 with the win and will host defending state Class 2-A champion Midway Friday at 7 p.m. in their Four County Conference opener.

About Author