FAYETTEVILLE – Senior righthander Brandon Jacobs pitched a complete-game 3-hitter to lead Scotland to a 9-3 baseball victory over East Bladen Monday night in the semi-finals of the J. Hoyt Warren-Wayne Edwards Invitational at Douglas Byrd.
Jacobs struck out 14, walked one and hit one batter.
The Eagles jumped in front 1-0 in the second inning. Sophmore Ty Watkins hammered a double to deep centerfield, advanced on a passed third strike and sprinted home on senior Alex Coates’ grounder.
Coates blanked the Scots on a walk and an infield hit in the first two innings. The senior righthander picked one runner off first base, and catcher Kyle Tatum gunned down another one attempting to steal second base.
Doubles by Zach Phillips and Donta Green and infield hits by McKenzie White and Cross Holfert produced a trio of Scotland runs in the third inning.
The Scots tacked on four runs after two were out in the fourth inning. Phillips’ infield hit started the rally, and Nicholas Charleson, White and Daly Marcano sandwiched singles around a hit batter to stretch the lead to 7-1.
Charleson singled, stole second and scored on another Phillips single in the fifth inning.
The Eagles closed the gap to 8-3 in the top of the sixth. Sophmore Deondre Newkirk walked and circled the bases on a passed ball and two wild pitches.
Freshman Greyson Heustess reached base on a throwing error on a passed third strike. Heustess stole second base, moved up on a wild pitch and darted home on Tatum’s grounder.
Scotland tacked on a run in the sixth when Green cracked a single to left, stole second and scored on Justin Bowers’ infield hit.
Coates worked four-plus innings on the hill for East Bladen and was charged with 8 runs on 10 hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out two. Sophmore Xavier Wooten pitched the final 2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and a walk while striking out five.
Watkins doubled and scored a run. Tatum singled and drove in a run, and Owens singled for the other Eagle hit. Newkirk and Heustess scored a run each, and Coates drove in a run.
Phillips batted 3-3 with a double and an rbi to lead Scotland. Green doubled, singled and scored 3 runs. Holfert and Bowers added 2 hits each.
The Eagles are now 6-3 and will play Grays Creek Tuesday (today) at 4 p.m. in the tournament’s third-place game. Scotland (8-3) will play Cape Fear at 7 p.m. for the championship.
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