FAIRMONT – South Robeson capitalized on four West Bladen misplays to score 8 runs – 6 unearned – in the fifth inning en route to an 11-8 victory over the Knights Monday in the Robeson County Baseball Slugfest.
Due to illnesses that sidelined a couple of starters Coach Kim Cain was forced to shuffle his line-up and had four players who were not at their regular positions in Monday’s game.
With the score tied 3-3, a walk and a botched bunt play put two Mustang runners on base in the fifth. Cody Scott slapped a single through the drawn-in infield to drive in the go-ahead run, and Zack Carter squeezed in another against relief pitcher Jarrett Williams.
Braylon Hunt clubbed a double off the centerfield fence that scored Scott. A couple of misjudged fly balls brought in two more runs, and a dropped line drive scored another. Bob Butler singled in another run, and Carter’s infield hit plated another for an 11-3 Mustang lead.
Williams was hit by a pitch to start the Knight half of the fifth. A wild pitch moved courtesy runner Dalton Pait to second base, and freshman catcher Jake Butler knocked him in with a single to left-centerfield.
Senior Weston Pidgeon swatted a single to right field, and freshman Logan West and junior Scott Bowen drew walks that forced home Cody Garner, the courtesy runner for Butler. Senior T. J. Guyton drilled a double to left-centerfield that cleaned the bases scoring Pidgeon, Logan West and Bowen to trim the lead to 11-8.
Senior Ian Sykes started on the mound for the Knights and pitched 4-plus innings, allowing 6 runs – 4 earned – on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out seven. Williams pitched 3 innings giving up 5 unearned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out five.
Jake Butler batted 3-4 with a double and a run batted in to lead the Knight hitters. Pidgeon finished 2-3 at the plate with a run scored. Bowen slammed a double and had an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Guyton doubled and drove in 4 runs. Senior Caleb Sholar belted an rbi single, and Trent West singled and scored. Logan West scored 2 runs, and Dalton Pait and Garner scored a run each.
The Knights grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Trent West beat out an infield hit, and Guyton reached base on an error. A throwing error on Sholar’s sacrifice bunt scored Trent West.
The Mustangs vaulted back in front with 2 runs in the third on an infield hit, a hit batter, a wild pitch, a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice. Secondbaseman Pidgeon’s diving stop retired Carter to end the inning.
West Bladen retook the lead with 2 runs in the home third. Pidgeon walked but was forced out on Logan West’s bunt. Bowen drilled a double to left-centerfield, and Trent West was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Guyton’s sacrifice fly to centerfield brought home Logan West, and Sholar laced a single to left that scored Bowen and edged the Knights ahead 3-2. A leaping catch by the Mustang secondbaseman robbed Sykes of an rbi single and ended the inning.
A walk and Matthew Chavis’ 2-out double tied the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth.
Jake Butler drilled a double off the left-centerfield fence to begin the Knight fourth. The Knights loaded the bases with one out, but a line-out and a deep fly ball stranded the runners.
Carter pitched 5.1 innings to pick up the win for South Robeson. Cameron Hunt worked 1.2 innings of relief. Matthew Chavis batted 2-4 with 2 doubles, an rbi and a run scored to lead the South hitters. Carter drove in 2 runs with a 2-4 performance.
West Bladen is now 9-9 overall and returns to Four County play April 25th at home against Pender.
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