ELIZABETHTOWN – Easton Bostic pitched a no-hitter and struck out 12 batters to lead Elizabethtown to a 12-0 victory over Bladen County Saturday night in the opening round of the North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball Division 1 Majors State Tournament.
Greg Banks walked leading off the 2nd inning to account for the only Bladen County base runner against Bostic.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Elizabethtown advances to an 8 p.m. game Sunday against Sampson County, who defeated Richlands 15-1. Bladen County will play Richlands at noon Sunday in an elimination game.
After Bladen County’s Ashton Davis struck out the side in the 1st inning, Elizabethtown’s C. J. McCracken drew a leadoff walk in the 2nd inning. After Josh Dawson was hit by a pitch, McCracken raced home when an errant pickoff throw sailed into center field.
Jackson Hair and Cade Rogers drew 2-out walks in the Elizabethtown 3rd inning. Hair stole 2nd base then came around to score on a pair of wild pitches. Rogers sprinted home on a wild pitch, and Collin Cole slapped a single to right field and eventually scored on a passed ball to boost the Elizabethtown lead to 4-0.
Dawson walked in the 4th inning, and Jayce Hatcher drilled a triple to right field that scored Dawson. Hatcher dashed home on a wild pitch to pad the lead to 6-0.
Braylon Cromartie walked to begin the Elizabethtown 5th inning, and Cole beat out an infield hit. Cromartie darted home on a passed ball, and Cole scooted home on a wild pitch. Tyler Eason walked and raced home as Claxton Tatum deep fly ball was misplayed.
Tatum was thrown out in a rundown, but McCracken, Dawson, Cam Byers and Hatcher drew consecutive walks that forced home McCracken. Bostic knocked in Rogers who was running for the catcher Dawson with a single to right field. Cromartie walked to force home Byers with the final run of the game.
Cole batted 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Hatcher slugged the triple, had 2 RBIs and scored a run. Eason singled and scored a run. McCracken and Rogers scored 2 runs each, and Hair, Cromartie, Byers and Dawson scored 1 run each. Bostic and Cromartie had 1 RBI each.
Davis struck out 7 batters in his 3 innings on the mound for Bladen County and allowed 4 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks. He was followed to the mound by Chase Bryan, Devon Stanley and Khalil McKoy.
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