By John Clark
BLADENBORO – Corben Chadwick pitched a 3-hitter and struck out 6 batters to lead Bladenboro to the Waccamaw Middle School Conference baseball championship with a 10-1 victory Thursday over previously unbeaten Whiteville Central.
Coach Tim Benton’s Bulldogs completed a perfect undefeated season with a 4-0 record in Division ‘AA’ and 9-0 overall mark. Whiteville finished 2nd in Division ‘AA’ with a 3-1 record and are 8-1 overall.
Gaston Russ reached base on a passed 3rd strike to start the Bladenboro 1st inning, stole 2nd base, went to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored when Chadwick smoked a single through the right side.
The Bulldogs grew the lead to 3-0 in the 3rd inning. Chadwick walked, and Luke Bryant banged an infield hit off the pitcher. A throwing error on the play sent Chadwick to 3rd and he dashed home on a wild pitch. Bryant stole 2nd base then raced home on a pair of wild pitches.
Bladenboro broke the game open with a 5-run 5th inning. Cole Brisson reached base on a passed 3rd strike, and his pinch-runner, Keithan Russ, scooted around to 3rd base when a wild pitch ricocheted into the dugout. Devan Stanley walked and moved up on a wild pitch. Gauge King knocked in Keithan Russ and Stanley with a single to right field.
Gauge King stole 2nd base, and Brooks Carroll was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and both of them scored when Gaston Russ drilled a double to the left-center field gap. Gaston Russ stole 3rd base and darted home on a wild pitch that pushed the lead to 8-0.
Taylor Rose led off the Central 6th with a single to right field, moved up on a fielder’s choice and scored on N. Merritt’s single.
Cole Brisson walked with 1 out in the Bladenboro 6th, and Stanley reached base on an error. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Gauge King was hit by a pitch. Carroll walked to force home Brisson, and Stanley sprinted home on a wild pitch to boost the lead to 10-1.
Gaston Russ doubled, drove in 2 runs and scored twice. Gauge King belted a 2-run single and scored a run. Luke Bryant singled and scored a run. Chadwick delivered the run-scoring single and scored a run. Cole Brisson and Stanley scored 2 runs each. Carroll drove in a run and scored a run.
The Bulldogs played errorless defense. Shortstop Cole Brisson snagged a low liner and doubled a runner off 2nd base in the 2nd inning, then made a back-handed stop and threw out a batter from the hole in the 6th inning. Second baseman Bryant made a fine stop and still forced a runner at 2nd as his leg went out from under him in the 4th inning.
Briley Tedder started and pitched 4 innings for Central allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and 6 walks while striking out 12. Sidney Miller worked an inning of relief and allowed 5 runs – 3 earned – on 2 hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out 3. Rose finished up allowing 2 unearned runs on 3 walks while striking out 2. The Hornets were plagued by 11 wild pitches.
Rose, N. Merritt and Briar Russell had 1 hit each for the Hornets. Rose scored a run, and N. Merritt had a run batted in.
Whiteville 000 001 — 1- 3-3
Bladenboro 102 052 — 10-4-0
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