03/28/2024
Baseball
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CLINTON – Garrett Faircloth’s single to left drove home the winning run in the sixth inning as Clinton edged West Bladen 3-2 Tuesday afternoon in a Four County 1A/2A Conference junior varsity baseball game.

The loss dropped West Bladen to 4-6 in conference games and 8-7 overall. The Knights are scheduled to close their season with a pair of home games, playing rival East Bladen on Friday and Pender on Saturday.

Ray Jones piched into the sixth inning before leaving with elbow soreness. The right-hander scattered six hits, struck out six, walked three and worked out of a pair of bases loaded jams.

Brandon Carson went 2-for-4 to lead the West Bladen offense. Donald McCullum, Hunter Pait, Caleb Sholar, Jonathan Robinson and Jones each had one hit. West Bladen left nine men on base.

The Knights scored their two runs in the first inning. Carson had a one-out single to left, and courtesy runner Jaquale Jessup stole second. After the second out, Pait had an infield single that sent Jessup to third. Pait then stole second. A wild pitch scored Jessup and advanced Pait to third, and Pait scored on the play when the throw from the catcher went into left field.

Clinton got one of the runs back in the third on a single by Zeth Pearson, a sacrifice bunt and a two-out single up the middle by Andrew Thornton.

The Dark Horses tied it in the fourth. A single, walk and single loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Pearson singled to left that scored Skylar Cannady with the tying run.

Clinton’s winning rally began when Pearson walked. After the pitching change for West Bladen, Pearson went to third when a pickoff attempt throw to first was misplayed. Faircloth followed with his game-winning single.

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