ELIZABETHTOWN — Malcolm Bolden scored three times to lead East Bladen to a key 3-2 win over Midway on Wednesday night in a Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ soccer game.
The victory moved the Eagles (6-7 overall) into a tie for fourth place with Midway (8-6 overall) in the league with 2-4 records. More importantly for East Bladen, it kept the Eagles above the cutline in the state’s RPI that will determine postseason berths. East Bladen is No. 26 with four games remaining. The top 32 advance to the playoffs.
The outcome also avenged Midway’s 3-2 win earlier this season.
“I feel good about that game,” East Bladen coach Jay Raynor said. “We play a different form of soccer than we have in the past and I thought we hadn’t had the results.
“We got some breaks and I think the ball bounced our way. It’s a little bit of a relief because when you are losing games by one goal or in overtime it kind of wears on you mentally.”
East Bladen keeper Lee Barnes made keep saves down the stretch as Midway mounted a challenge to overcome a 2-goal deficit.
Bolden wasted little time in putting the Eagles in front. The senior forward scored in the third minute.
Midway tied it in the 24th minute off a penalty kick by Abraham Florido.
The Raiders appeared to take the lead with a minute remaining in the first half, but their goal was negated by an offsides call.
Bolden made Midway pay, racing down the field and scoring with less than a minute remaining before intermission.
Bolden capped his hat trick with a lofted shot from about 35 yards out that went over the outstretched Midway goalie and into the back of the net in the 52nd minute for a 3-1 East Bladen lead.
That goal turned out to be important. Midway applied pressure in the final 10 minutes with Alfredo Osorio Martinez scoring in the 79th minute.
East Bladen is scheduled to play at league-leading Clinton on Monday and host rival West Bladen on Wednesday.
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