Trent West pitched six strong innings as West Bladen advanced to the title game of the North Carolina Dixie Pre-Majors State Baseball Tournament with a 6-4 victory Sunday night over Columbus County.
West Bladen will play the winner of Columbus County and Duplin County in the championship game at 1 p.m. Monday. The Knights are the two-time defending champions.
West struck out seven and gave up five hits and three runs, but only one of the runs was earned. “Trent did a good job for us,” said Knight Coach Kim Cain. “He threw the ball hard today.”
The West Bladen defense turned in several outstanding defensive plays behind West. In the first inning, center-fielder Seth Britt fired to second-baseman Ray Jones who relayed the ball to third-baseman Hunter Pait to retire a Columbus County runner.
“We had the double cut-off set up perfectly,” said Cain. “Seth made a strong throw, and Ray did a great job with the relay.” Jones also made a good play near the bag at second later in the game to take another hit away from a Columbus hitter.
West Bladen took a 6-3 lead into the top of the seventh, but after a pair of one-out walks, a Columbus batter launched a deep drive to center-field that Britt ran down for the second out.
“Seth made a Willie Mays back-to-the-plate catch at the fence,” said Coach Cain. After a single and a walk produced a run that trimmed the margin to 6-4, left-hander Jarrett Williams secured the final out on a pop-up to first base.
Britt walked and stole second base with one out in the Knight first inning. West yanked a single to left that scored Britt, then moved up to second base on a throwing error. Chandler Lennon laced a single to center-field that drove in Johnathan Ashworth, the courtesy runner for West.
The Knights stretched their lead to 4-0 in the second inning. Donald McCullum ripped a single to left, and Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt. McCullum went to third on a passed ball and Williams walked.
With Williams stealing second, the Columbus catcher tried to pick McCullum off third base, and the throw sailed down the left-field line, scoring McCullum and Williams.
After Columbus County closed the gap to 4-3, West Bladen tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth. Scott Bowen crushed a ground-rule double that one-hopped over the fence.
After West walked and a passed ball had moved up courtesy runners Caleb Sholar and Ashworth, a throwing error on McCullum’s grounder scored both Sholar and Ashworth.
Bowen doubled to lead West Bladen’s six-hit attack, and Jeremy Hunt, West, Lennon, McCullum and Pidgeon contributed one hit each. West and Lennon drove in runs for the Knights.
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