03/28/2024
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KENANSVILLE –Bladen County scored in every inning Sunday en route to a 12-2 victory over North Duplin in the North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball Small League Tournament.

North Duplin scored a run in the top of the first but Bladen County pulled even at 1-1 in their first at-bat. D. A. Smith walked and scored on Shy’Asia Ratliff’s sacrifice fly.

Bladen County took the lead with 2 runs in the second inning. Mason Brooks walked, and Hezzy Blanks cracked a single. Will Durden’s fielder’s choice scored Brooks, and Aaron Wren knocked in Blanks with a single.

North Duplin trimmed the margin to 3-2 in the top of the third, but Bladen County padded their lead to 6-2 in the home third. Smith started the rally with a single, and Andre Moore smacked a single that scored Smith. Ratliff lifted another sacrifice fly that scored Moore, and Matt Kemp walloped a solo home run.

Bladen County stretched the lead to 9-3 with 3 runs in the fourth inning. Durden walked, and Wren belted a single. Smith slugged a single that scored Durden, and Moore delivered a single that scored Wren and Smith.

Kemp reached base on an error to begin the Bladen fifth inning, and Blanks hammered a triple that scored Kemp. Keyon McKoy swatted a single that scored Blanks, and Trent Meares ended the game on the mercy rule with a single that scored McKoy.

Durden and Joe Johnson teamed up to pitch the victory for Bladen County. Smith batted a perfect 2-2 with 3 runs scored and a run batted in. Wren also turned in a perfect 2-2 game with a run scored and an rbi. Moore finished 2-3 at the plate with 3 rbi’s and a run scored.

Kemp blasted the home run and finished 2-3 with an rbi and a run scored. Blanks batted 2-3 with a triple, an rbi and 2 runs scored. Meares, McKoy, Johnson and Brooks connected for one hit each. Brooks, Durden and McKoy scored one run each. Durden and McKoy drove in one run each.

Bladen County advances to a third round winner’s bracket game Monday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Sunday’s Clinton/Bessemer City game.

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