CLINTON – Freshman Michael Young and sophomore Joshua Russ combined to pitch a 2-hit shutout and strike out 7 batters as West Bladen rolled to a 24-0 non-conference victory over Clinton Wednesday in their jayvee baseball opener.
Young worked the first 3 innings allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. Russ struck out the side and walked one batter in the 4th inning.
After walks to Bryce Fuller and Jordan Bryan, Todd Richardson knocked them in with a 2-out single to ignite the Knights 5-run, 1st inning. After Brycen Blackmon’s single, Elijah Crabtree and Wadeyn Norris cracked singles that scored Richardson and Blackmon. Crabtree darted home on a throw.
The lead grew to 8-0 in the 2nd. Alex Strange reached on an error, and Young walked. Richardson’s liner off the pitcher plated Strange. Blackmon hammered a double that scored Riley Stanley, the courtesy runner for Young, and Richardson.
Aaron Wren and Stanley sandwiched walks around a single by Fuller in the 3rd inning. Young raked a single to left that scored Wren and Fuller. After Russ walked, Blackmon’s fly ball was misplayed and scored Stanley and Young. Walks to Tucker Carroll and Norris forced home Russ and pushed the Knight lead to 13-0.
In the Knights’ 11-run, 4th-inning, Fuller and Garrison Carr sandwiched walks around a Young single. Russ was hit by a pitch that forced home Fuller. Blackmon ripped a single to left that scored Young and Carr. Carroll drove in Russ with a single, Norris was hit by a pitch, and Destin Montgomery reached on an error that plated Blackmon.
Stanley and Young smacked singles that scored Carroll and Norris. Carr walked to force home Montgomery. Russ yanked a single to left that plated Stanley, and Blackmon slammed a double that scored Young and Carr.
Blackmon walloped 2 doubles, batted 4-for-5, drove in 6 runs and scored twice to lead the West hitters. Young batted 3-for-4 with 3 runs batted in and scored 3 runs. Fuller, Stanley, Richardson, Russ, Crabtree, Carroll and Norris connected for one hit each.
Norris drove in 3 runs, and Richardson and Russ had 2 RBIs each. Stanley, Carr, Crabtree, Carroll and Montgomery had one RBI each. Fuller and Stanley scored 3 runs each. Carr, Richardson and Russ scored 2 runs each, and Strange, Bryan, Crabtree, Carroll, Norris, Wren and Montgomery scored one run each.
West Bladen 535 (11) – 24-14-1
Clinton 000 0 – 0- 2 -5
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