BLADENBORO – Bladenboro exploded for 11 runs in the first inning en route to a 17-3 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Tar Heel Tuesday.
The Panthers loaded the bases on 3 consecutive walks to begin the first inning, but Bulldog pitcher Colby White regrouped and struck out the next 3 batters to end the inning.
Logan West and Nolan Bryant drew walks to begin the Bladenboro first. West darted home on a wild pitch, before catcher Jake Butler crushed a 2-run home run to deep left field.
White walked, and Lant Pait drove him in with a single. Noah Deaver drew a walk, and both Pait and Deaver raced home on wild pitches. Lee Roberts walked, and West belted a single, before Bryant knocked both runners with a single.
Butler drew a walk, and White walloped a double that plated Bryant and Butler. Pait smacked a single to drive in White and give the Bulldogs an 11-0 lead.
In the Tar Heel second inning, pitcher Tyre Boykin drew a walk, and catcher Kendall Johnson reached base on an error. Boykin darted home on a wild pitch, and Jadicus Register laced a single to drive in Johnson. Register later scored the third run of the inning on an error.
Roberts walked in the Bulldog second and sprinted home as West reached base on an error. Bryant reached on an error as West scored, and Bryant later scored on another error for a 14-3 Bladenboro lead.
Trashawn Ballard, West, Bryant and Butler drew walks in the Bladenboro third inning with Butler’s walk forcing home Ballard. White reached on an error as West scored, and Xzavion Morrison drew a walk that forced in Bryant with the final Bulldog run.
Bryant pitched 2 innings of relief to pick up the win. The tall righthander struck out 5, walked 6, and allowed one hit and 3 unearned runs. White worked the scoreless first with 3 walks and 3 strike-outs. Pait pitched a scoreless fourth and allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one.
Pait batted 2-2 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored. Butler slugged the 2-run homer and had 3 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. White slammed the 2-run double and scored twice.
West and Bryant added one hit each and scored 4 runs each for the Bulldogs. Roberts scored twice, and Deaver and Ballard scored one run each. Morrison had one rbi.
Johnson batted 1-2 and scored a run for the Panthers. Register cracked an rbi single and scored a run, and Boykin scored a run. Boykin started on the mound for Tar Heel.
Coach Steve Thurman’s Bulldogs, now 2-0, will travel to Elizabethtown Thursday to battle the 2-0 Cougars for first place in the Bladen Five. Tar Heel will host Clarkton Tuesday.
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