RIEGELWOOD – Devon Strange pitched 5 strong innings and batted 4-4 to lead Bladen County to a 10-2 victory over Nakina Sunday in the District 2 Dixie Youth Baseball Majors Tournament.
Devon Strange struck out ten batters and allowed only 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. His brother, Alex Strange, relieved Devon and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning striking out one batter.
Bladen County lead-off batter Andre Moore hammered a solo home run over the rightfield fence in the top of the fourth inning to snap a scoreless tie. “That started the bats for us,” said Bladen Coach Jerry Strange. “Our kids came to play today.”
Devon Strange followed Moore’s homer with a single, and Young smashed a double to drive him in. Nakina scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap to 2-1.
Anthony Mitchell led off the Bladen County fifth with a single, and D’Anthony Smith drove him in with a single. Moore walked, and Devon Strange knocked in Smith and Moore with a single. Young belted a single that scored Devon Strange and stretched the lead to 6-1.
Nakina trimmed the margin to 6-2, but Bladen County pulled away with 4 more runs in the sixth. Mitchell walked, and Steven Matheson cracked a single. Moore walked, and Alex Strange smacked a single that scored Mitchell. Devon Strange swatted a single that scored Matheson, and Young connected for a single that scored Moore and Alex Strange.
Young finished 2-3 at the plate with a double. Moore walloped the home run, and Alex Strange, Edwards, Mitchell, Smith, Matheson and Trenton Meares contributed one hit each to the 13-hit Bladen attack.
Bladen County advances to play the host Riegelwood team at 6 p.m. Monday in an elimination game.
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