WINNABOW – Columbus County defeated Bladen County 12-5 Wednesday in an elimination game in the 2024 North Carolina Junior Dixie Boys State Tournament at Town Creek Park.
The loss eliminated Bladen County from the tournament.
Columbus grabbed a 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning on Ja’Quan McKinnis single, 2 hit batters, and a walk.
Bladen answered in the 3rd inning. Drake Gause raked a single to left field, and Gaston Russ ripped a double to center field. Brooks Carroll drilled a double to right that scored Drake Gause and Russ. Chandler Wall smoked a single through the middle that scored Carroll and tied the game 3-3.
Columbus County bounced back with 6 runs in the 4th inning. Four walks started the inning, and Conrad Martinez and Brayden Bowen smashed doubles. Jordan Dorsey capped the inning with a 2-run single.
Bladen whittled the margin to 9-4 with a run in the bottom of the inning. Jayden Bethea scorched a single to left, and Greylon Robinson followed with a single. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, and Bethea raced home on Russ’ fielder’s choice.
Wall blistered a double to left field in the Bladen 7th inning, stole 3rd base and dashed home on Trey Wilson’s fielder’s choice.
Bethea batted 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead the Bladen hitters. Wall finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a run batted in and a run scored. Russ doubled, and Drake Gause, Landon Gause, Carroll and Robinson connected for 1 hit each. Drake Gause and Russ scored 1 run each. Carroll had 2 RBIs, and Russ and Wilson had 1 RBI each.
Aidan Thompson started on the mound for Bladen and pitched 1.1 innings allowing 3 runs – 2 earned – on 2 hits and a walk. Stryker Pait worked 1.2 innings of relief and allowed 2 runs on 3 walks. Russ pitched 1 inning and allowed 5 runs – 4 earned – on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2. Carroll worked 2.1 innings of relief and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 3. Robinson pitched 0.1 scoreless innings and allowed a hit and a walk. Bethea retired the only batter that he faced.
Ethan Stanley pitched all 7 innings for Columbus and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Stanley also batted 2-for-3, scored 3 runs and had 1 RBI. Martinez doubled, had 3 RBIs and scored 2 runs. Dorsey finished 3-for-4 at the plate and had 3 RBIs.
Columbus was defeated 9-3 Thursday in the championship game by Lumberton.
Members of the Bladen County Junior Dixie Boys baseball team (pictured above):
• Front row, left to right: Stryker Pait, Johnny Wilson III, Landon Gause, Greylon Robinson, Drake Gause, Jeremiah Bryan
• Middle row, left to right: Aidan Thompson, Chandler Wall, Gunner Lewis, Gaston Russ, Brooks Carroll, Jayden Bethea
• Coaches on back row left to right: BJay Pait, Teffery McKoy, Johnny Wilson
Columbus County 030 610 2 — 12-9-1
Bladen County 003 100 1 — 5-9-1
Author: Sonny Jones
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