WHITEVILLE – Seniors Lincoln Ransom and Jake Harwood combined to pitch a 3-hit shutout as Whiteville defeated East Bladen 3-0 Saturday in the Three Rivers Conference baseball opener for both schools.
Ransom struck out 10 batters in 4.2 innings on the hill and allowed 2 hits and 2 walks. Harwood pitched the final 2.1 innings, struck out one and gave up one hit.
Junior Lefrederick Wooten pitched a complete game 4-hitter for the Eagles, struck out 6, walked 3. Only 2 of the 3 Wolfpack runs were earned.
Junior Dylan Fine ripped a 2-out double to left field in the 2nd inning for the first Eagle hit. Sophomore Ethan Johnson raked a base hit past third in the 4th inning, and sophomore Raymond Autry smacked a single in the 7th inning.
The Eagles had runners at 1st and 3rd in the 7th, but Whiteville’s John Cook snared a line drive and turned it into a game-ending double play.
East Bladen loaded the bases in the 5th inning when senior Xavier McKoy reached base on an error, and Autry and junior Zach Meares drew walks, but Harwood came on in relief and got a ground-out to end the inning.
Walks to seniors Logan Hooks and David Macallum followed by Ransom’s sacrifice fly produced a Wolfpack run in the 2nd. Macallum walked, advanced on Logan West’s single and dashed home on sophomore Bud Baldwin’s single in the Whiteville 4th.
Harwood reached base on an error and scored on Ransom’s single to left in the Wolfpack 6th. Baldwin batted 2-2 with 2 runs batted in for the Wolfpack.
East Bladen will host South Columbus Tuesday night at 7:00.
East Bladen 000 000 0 – 0-3-2
Whiteville 010 110 x – 3-4-3
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