Donald McCullum raced home with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Trent West pitched 3 scoreless innings as West Bladen rallied for a 4-3 victory at North Myrtle Beach, SC on Thursday night in the championship game of the Dixie Pre-Majors Baseball post-season tournament.
The Knights trailed 3-1 entering the top of the sixth inning, but Brandon Carson laced a single to center-field, and Ian Sykes was hit by a pitch.
Caleb Sholar’s fielder’s choice advanced both runners, and Scott Bowen knocked both of them in with a double to right-centerfield that tied the game.
In the top of the seventh, McCullum cracked a single, then sprinted all the way to third base on a throwing error by the North Myrtle Beach catcher. The passed ball followed and allowed McCullum to put the Knights on top 4-3.
West picked up the victory as he struck out four and allowed the Chiefs one walk and no hits over the final 3 innings. Jeremy Hunt started on the hill for West Bladen and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks in his 4 innings of work.
Hunt walked in the fourth inning and dashed all the way to third base on a bunt and run play as teammate Seth Britt laid down the sacrifice bunt. West belted a single that drove in Hunt with the first Knight run.
Bowen slammed the 2-run double to lead the Knight hitters. West smacked the rbi single, and McCullum, Carson, Ray Jones, Weston Pidgeon and Chandler Lennon connected for one hit each for the winners. Carson, Sykes, McCullum and Hunt scored runs for West Bladen.
The Knights improved to 13-5 with the victory and will now prepare for the Dixie Pre-Majors State Tournament that will begin on July 11.
Josh Schultz coached the Knights to their semi-final and championship victories as Coach Kim Cain was away with his wife who was undergoing a medical procedure.
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