CLARKTON – Bladenboro rallied from a 6-2 deficit with 8 runs in the final 2 innings and defeated Clarkton School of Discovery 10-6 Tuesday in Bladen Five Middle School Baseball action.
With the Blue Devils up 6-2, Devon Strange walked to begin the Bulldog fifth inning and advanced on a passed ball and a stolen base and scored on Brycen Blackmon’s infield hit. Michael Young walked, and Elijah Crabtree laced a single to right that scored Blackmon and Young to trim the lead to 6-5.
Josh Russ yanked a single to leftfield to start the Bladenboro sixth inning. Russ stole two bases and scored the tying run. Bryley Williams smacked a single, and Devon Strange smashed a double to right-centerfield that scored Williams. Blackmon belted a single to right that scored Devon Strange.
Young raked a single to left, and Crabtree slapped a single to left that scored Blackmon. Alex Strange pulled a single to left that scored Young and pushed the Bulldog lead to 10-6.
The Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Nazire Smith cracked a single to rightfield, Davion Graham walked, and Donnie Ezzell knocked in Smith with a single to rightfield.
Bladenboro answered with 2 runs in the fourth inning. Crabtree cracked a one-out single, and Russ drove him in with a single. Aaron Wren walloped a triple to right field that scored Russ and vaulted the Bulldogs in front 2-1.
Clarkton scored five runs in the home fourth to take a 6-2 lead. Lee Barnes, Parker Greene, Jake Futrell and Lafon Monroe drew walks with Monroe’s walk forcing home Barnes. Nazire Smith blasted a grand-slam home run to left-centerfield that scored Greene, Futrell and Monroe.
Crabtree batted 4-4 with 3 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Bulldog hitters. Blackmon finished 3-4 with 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Russ batted 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an rbi. Williams finished 2-4 at the plate with a run scored.
Wren tripled home a run, and Devon Strange doubled home a run and scored twice. Young and Alex Strange collected one hit each. Young scored twice, and Alex Strange had one rbi.
Williams pitched 2 perfect innings of relief with 2 strike-outs to pick up the win. Blackmon worked the first 4 innings on the mound and allowed 5 runs on 3 hits and a walk while striking out eleven.
Richardson slugged the grand-slam home run to lead the Clarkton hitters. Smith and Ezzell added one hit each to the Blue Devil attack. Ezzell and Lafon Monroe drove in one run each. Smith, Barnes, Greene, Futrell and Lafon Monroe scored runs.
Ezzell started on the mound for the Blue Devils.
“The kids never put their head down when Clarkton took the 6-2 lead,” said Bladenboro Coach Jerry Strange. “The boys started hitting the ball and came back. They played a good game. I am so proud of this team.”
The Bulldogs, now 3-2, moved into second place in the Bladen Five with the win. Bladenboro will close the season Thursday at Tar Heel.