BLADENBORO – Jaxon Hair and Braylon Cromartie belted singles to spark a 4-run 5th inning rally that lifted East Bladen to an 8-6 non-conference jayvee baseball victory over West Bladen Monday.
Coach James Ben Daly’s Eagles claimed their 1st win of the season and evened their record at 1-1-1. East Bladen will host South Columbus Tuesday. West Bladen, also 1-1-1, will entertain North Brunswick Wednesday.
With West leading 6-4, walks to Isaiah Lee and Torrean Cogdell started the Eagle 5th inning rally, and Easton Bostic advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Hair raked a single to left that scored Lee, and Cromartie scorched a single to left that plated Cogdell with the tying run. One out later, Zach Sholar reached on an error that scored Hair and Cromartie for an 8-6 East lead.
Hair allowed an unearned run in 2 hitless innings of relief to pick up the win, walking 1 and striking out 3. Sholar started and worked 2.1 innings allowing 4 runs – 2 earned- on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 1. Cade Rogers pitched 0.2 innings of relief and gave up a run on 3 walks while striking out 1.
Lee doubled and scored twice to lead the Eagle hitters. Hair, Cromartie and Colton Daly belted 1 hit each. Cromartie, Hair and Tyler Eason drove in runs. Sholar, Daly, Cogdell, Hair, Cromartie and Rex Register scored runs.
Tyler Lewis batted 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in to lead the Knight hitters. Weston Hilburn, Brady Marlowe and Caison Brixey connected for 1 hit each. Greyson Freeman and Aidan Trinidad had RBIs. Keon Whittington and Brixey scored 2 runs each, Conner Hill and Jonah Bryan scored 1 run each.
Brixey started on the mound and pitched 2.2 innings allowing 3 runs – 1 earned – on 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. Brady Marlowe worked 1.1 hitless innings of relief allowing 3 runs – 2 earned – on 4 walks while striking out 1. Jonah Bryan worked an inning of relief allowing 2 unearned runs on 2 hits while striking out 1.
The Eagles jumped ahead with 3 runs in the 1st. Sholar walked, stole 2 bases and darted home on Eason’s sacrifice fly. Daly ripped a single to right, and Lee pounded a double to left. An error on Bostic’s line drive scored Daly and Lee.
West Bladen answered with 2 runs in the 2nd. Brixey smashed a single to left and advanced on a passed ball and an error that allowed Hill to reach base. Chase Bryan walked, and Tyler Lewis yanked a single to right that plated Brixey and Hill.
A 3-run 3rd inning vaulted the Knights into a 5-3 lead. Hilburn drilled a single to left, and Marlowe smoked a single to left. Whittington, the courtesy runner for Hilburn, stole 3rd and scored on a wild pitch. Jonah Bryan was hit by a pitch, Brixey walked and Freeman was hit by a pitch. Trinidad walked to force home Jonah Bryan, and Brixey scored on a wild pitch.
The Eagles trimmed the margin to 5-4 in the 4th. Designated hitter L. Harrelson walked, and pinch-runner Register stole 2nd, advanced on a balk and scored on a passed ball.
The Knights scored in the home 4th to up the count to 6-4. Hilburn was hit by a pitch and his courtesy runner, Whittington, stole 2nd and advanced as Marlowe reached on an error. After Jonah Bryan walked, Whittington scored on Freeman’s fielder’s choice.
East Bladen 300 14 – 8-4-3
West Bladen 023 10 – 6-5-3
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