FAYETTEVILLE – Senior lefthander Ty Watkins pitched a 3-hit shutout Saturday to lead East Bladen to an 8-0 victory over Freedom Christian in the Bulldog Invitational Baseball Tournament at Terry Sanford High.
Watkins struck out five and walked two. East Bladen advances to Monday night’s 7 p.m. semi-final against Scotland – a Saturday winner over Cape Fear.
Senior Sincere Smith reached on an error to start the 2-run Eagle first inning and raced home when junior Greyson Heustess yanked a double down the leftfield line.
Heustess advanced on a wild pitch and stole home on the back end of a double steal with freshman Freddie Wooten – the courtesy runner for catcher Brady Hollingsworth who had walked.
Junior Dan Tatum blasted a triple to right-centerfield to begin the Eagle second inning. Senior Quinton Bedsole raked a single to left that scored Tatum. Smith pulled a single to left, and Heustess reached base on an error.
Watkins smacked a single off the shortstop that scored Bedsole and Smith. Heustess scored on an error to grow the East lead to 6-0 as Hollingsworth reached base.
Bedsole rapped a one-out single to centerfield in the third inning, but was retired on Freddie Wooten’s fielder’s choice. Wooten stole second and third base then dashed home when the throw to third skipped away into leftfield.
Tatum ripped a lead-off double down the leftfield line in the fifth inning. Wooten slapped a single to rightfield to drive in Tatum with the final Eagle run.
Tatum batted 2-3 with a double, a triple and 2 runs scored to lead the Eagle hitters. Bedsole also finished with a 2-3 day at the plate with a run batted in and a run scored. Heustess cracked an rbi double and scored 2 runs.
Watkins delivered a 2-run single, and Freddie Wooten belted an rbi single and scored a run. Xavier Wooten, Freddie’s brother, also had one hit for the Eagles. Smith scored 2 runs.
Hunter Johnson batted 2-3 to lead the Patriot hitters. Dylan Bacot started on the mound for Freedom and had the other Freedom hit.
About Author
