ELIZABETHTOWN – Jackson Wright pitched a 4-hitter and batted 3-3 to lead Elizabethtown to an 11-2 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Clarkton School of Discovery Thursday.
The victory clinched the Bladen Five championship for Coach Larry Williams’ Cougars who finished with a 5-1 record.
The Blue Devils grabbed a 1-0 first inning lead. Davion Graham drew a walk, and Nazire Smith belted a single. Graham raced home on Lee Barnes fielder’s choice.
The Cougars answered with 2 runs in the home first. Chase Starkloff walked and raced home when Ty Mathis blasted a triple to centerfield. Mathis dashed home on a passed ball.
Elizabethtown opened up a 6-1 lead with 4 runs in the second inning. Garrison Tatum walked and raced home when Starkloff drilled a double to centerfield. Wright laced a single to centerfield to drive in Starkloff.
Elijah Bullard, Mathis and Coleman Tatum drew walks. Weston Hatcher knocked in Nathan Howell, the courtesy runner for Bullard, and Mathis with a single.
Starkloff walked to begin the Cougar third inning, stole a base and darted home when Wright cracked a single. Wright eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Mathis walked, stole second and sprinted home on Evan Pait’s single to pad the lead to 9-1.
Hunter Smith reached base on an error to start the Cougar fourth inning. Zamar Lewis raked a single through the left side to score Smith. Wright smacked a single to drive in Lewis and boost the lead to 11-1.
In the Clarkton fifth inning, Graham reached base on an error, and Barnes beat out an infield hit. Jake Futrell’s fielder’s choice scored Graham.
Wright drove in 3 runs and scored one. Mathis tripled home a run and scored three. Starkloff doubled, scored 3 times and drove in a run.
Hatcher singled home 2 runs, and Pait and Lewis both singled home runs. Howell, Smith and Garrison Tatum scored one run each.
Wright struck out five and walked six in his 6-inning complete game. Samaj Dove started on the mound for the Blue Devils and was relieved by Nyquan Richardson.
Graham scored both Blue Devil runs. Smith, Parker Greene, Barnes and Richardson connected for one hit each for Clarkton. Barnes and Futrell drove in one run each.
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