WINNABOW – Bladen County exploded for 9 runs in the top of the seventh inning and outscored West Lincoln 21-15 in the opening round of the North Carolina Dixie Boys State Baseball Tournament.
West Lincoln led 14-12 before Ethan Johnson walked and Ayden Piland singled to begin the Bladen seventh. Catcher Brady Hollingsworth belted a single that scored Johnson. Raymond Autry and Drew Sholar drew walks that forced home Piland with the tying run.
Zach Butler launched a sacrifice fly that scored Elijah Crabtree, the courtesy runner for Hollingsworth, with the go-ahead run. Tyler Hill hammered a triple that plated Autry and Sholar. RaSean McKoy knocked in Hill with a single, and Johnson delivered his second hit of the inning.
After Piland was hit by a pitch, an error on Zach Meares grounder scored McKoy and Johnson. Piland scored later to push the Bladen lead to 21-14.
Meares pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed a run on a hit and a walk while striking out one to pick up the win. Hollingsworth started and pitched the first 2 innings for Bladen allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk while striking out two.
Grayson Clark pitched a scoreless third but ran into trouble in the fourth and gave up 6 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. Jacob Priest pitched an inning and was charged with a run on a walk and 2 hits while striking out two. Autry pitched 1.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits, 3 walks and an error.
Bladen County took an early 1-0 lead when Johnson was hit by a pitch and raced home on Piland’s single. West Lincoln answered with 3 runs in the home first to go up 3-1.
Bladen bounced back with 5 runs in the third inning. Johnson led off with a single, and Piland walked before Meares drove in Johnson with a single. Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch, and Autry laced a single that scored Piland and Meares.
Sholar rapped a single that drove in Makhi Cromartie, the courtesy runner for Hollingsworth, and Autry dashed home on an error to put Bladen up 6-3.
A 3-run Bladen fourth inning padded the lead to 9-3. Johnson scorched a single to start the inning, and Piland knocked him in with a single. Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch, and Autry smashed a double that scored Piland. Sholar connected for a single that scored Crabtree who was running for Hollingsworth.
West Lincoln went back on top 10-9 with a 7-run fourth inning. Bladen responded with 3 runs in the fifth. McKoy walloped a triple and scored when Johnson swatted a single. Piland slapped a single, and Hollingworth was hit by a pitch again. Autry ripped a single that plated Johnson and Piland for a 12-10 lead.
West Lincoln went back in front 14-12 with a 4-run fifth inning.
Johnson and Piland both batted a perfect 4-4 to lead the 18-hit Bladen attack. Johnson scored 6 runs in the game and Piland scored four. Autry finished 3-4 at the plate with a double and 5 runs batted in.
McKoy batted 2-5 with a triple, and Sholar also batted 2-5 with 3 rbi’s. Hill walloped the 2-run triple. Meares and Hollingsworth added one hit each.
“That West Lincoln team can hit,” said Bladen Coach Les Hill. “But we can too.”
Bladen County will play Kings Mountain at 4:30 Sunday in a second round game.
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