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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Cody Butler and Grayson Clark combined to pitch a no-hitter and lead Elizabethtown to an 8-3 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory at Clarkton School of Discovery Tuesday.
Butler worked the first 3 innings on the mound for the Cougars and allowed 3 runs on 5 walks and an error while striking out five. Clark relieved in the fourth and retired 12 of the 13 batters that he faced to pick up the victory. Clark allowed no runs, struck out 3 and walked one.
Zach Meares and Butler belted one-out singles in the Cougar first inning. Butler’s single drove in Meares, and Butler raced home on Brady Hollingsworth’s sacrifice fly.
Clarkton tied the game with 2 runs in the first. Aaron Todd drew a walk, and Gabe Barber reached base on an error. Walks to Jacob Priest, Garrett Melvin and J. T. Junious forced home Todd and Barber with the Blue Devil runs.
Jaylin Robinson ripped a single to leftfield to begin the Cougar third inning. One out later Butler cracked a single to left-centerfield to score Robinson. Fred Wooten knocked in Butler with a 2-out single to put Elizabethtown up 4-2.
Barber walked and came around to score a Blue Devil run in the bottom of the third that trimmed the margin to 4-3.
Robinson slammed a double down the leftfield line in the fourth, and Meares walloped a triple to left field to drive him in and pad the lead to 5-3.
The Cougars tacked on 3 more runs in the top of the seventh. Butler crushed a triple to centerfield, and Hollingsworth laced a single to centerfield that scored Butler. Wooten smashed a triple to left-centerfield that plated Hollingsworth, and Clark delivered a single that scored Wooten.
Butler batted 3-4 with a triple, 2 runs batted in and 3 runs scored. Clark finished 2-2 at the plate with an rbi. Robinson was 2-3 with a double and 2 runs scored. Meares batted 2-4 with a triple, an rbi and a run scored.
Wooten finished 2-4 at the plate with a triple, 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Hollingsworth added a single, a run scored and 2 rbi’s.
Barber scored 2 of the Blue Devil runs, and Todd scored a run. Melvin and Junious had one rbi each. Barber started on the mound for Clarkton.
Coach Tripp Lancaster’s Cougars are now 2-0 in the Bladen Five, while Clarkton drops to 0-2. Elizabethtown will host Bladenboro Thursday, while Clarkton is at Tar Heel.
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