WHITEVILLE – Bladen County left the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the 6th inning Tuesday night as Columbus County escaped with an 8-7 victory in an elimination game in the Diamond Youth Baseball District 2 AAA (Minors) Tournament.
Members of the Bladen County team (pictured above) are:
Front Row: Laylon Council, Colton Wilkins, Tristan Taylor, Aaron Bethea, Memphis Smith
Middle Row: Gavin Richardson, CJ Singletary, Johoan Reed, Javion Johnson, Jalin Ballard
Back Row: Jamar Moore, Hakeem Swindell, Angelica Moore
Columbus carried an 8-5 lead into the final inning, but Johoan Reed walked and Colton Wilkins was hit by a pitch. Gavin Richardson and Aaron Bethea drew walks as Reed scored. Wilkins stole home to trim the final margin to 8-7.
Cam Watts doubled, and Isaiah Greene singled to spark Columbus to an early 2-0 lead. L. C. Council walked, and Jalin Ballard cracked a single in the Bladen 1st inning. Ballard stole 2 bases and scored on Memphis Smith’s fielder’s choice to slice the lead to 2-1.
Reed, Wilkins, Richardson, Tristan Taylor and Bethea all drew walks in the Bladen 2nd inning. Javion Johnson was hit by a pitch. Reed and Wilkins both scored to edge Bladen in front 3-2.
Columbus turned walks to Watts and Jase Gore into 2 runs and retook the lead 4-3 in the 3rd. Smith cracked a single, stole a base and raced home on C.J. Singletary’s single to tie the game 4-4 in the 3rd.
Kaden McAlister drove in a run, and Aiken Blackwell singled and scored as Columbus went back on top 6-4 in the 4th inning. Watts delivered another single, and Greene smashed a double as Columbus stretched the lead to 8-4 in the 5th.
Council walked to start the Bladen half of the 5th, but was retired on Ballard’s fielder’s choice. Ballard stole 2 bases then darted home on Smith’s single that whittled the lead to 8-5.
Smith batted 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Bladen hitters. Singletary also finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Ballard singled and scored 2 runs. Wilkins walked, was hit by a pitch and scored twice. Reed walked twice and scored 2 runs. Bethea, Richardson and Council walked 2 times each. Taylor, Johnson and Gregory McKiver drew 1 walk each. Johnson was also hit by a pitch.
Blackwell batted 3-for-3 with a run scored to lead the Columbus hitters. Watts finished 2-for-2 with a double and 3 runs scored. Greene was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Columbus County 202 220 — 8
Bladen County 121 012 — 7
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