BURGAW – Junior Xavier Wooten pitched a one-hitter and struck out six batters to lead East Bladen’s Eagles to a 12-1 Four County Conference victory Friday night over Pender.
Wooten retired the first ten batters that he faced and gave up an unearned run in the fourth when Riley Murray singled in Stephen Brunetti who had reached base on an error.
The Eagles jumped in front with a first-inning run as junior Sincere Smith belted a single, stole second and third base and scored when senior Kyle Tatum cracked a single.
East Bladen exploded for 9 runs in the third inning. Senior Nick Collins led off with a single, sophmore Shy Pone walked and Smith drove in Collins with a single.
Tatum delivered a single that plated Pone, and Wooten swatted a single that scored Smith. Junior Brooks McGill slammed a double that brought home Tatum. Sophmore Greyson Heustess walloped a triple that scored Wooten and McGill.
Junior Deondre Newkirk smacked a single that plated Heustess. Collins connected for his second hit of the inning, and Pone drove in Newkirk with a single. Smith hammered a triple that scored Collins and Pone and stretched the lead to 10-0.
McGill drew a one-out walk in the fourth, and Heustess followed with a single. Newkirk laced a single that drove in McGill, and Collins connected for a single that scored Heustess and padded the Eagle lead to 12-0.
Collins batted a perfect 3-3, scored 2 runs and had a run batted in. Smith finished 3-4 at the plate with the triple, 3 rbi’s and 2 runs scored.
Pone batted 2-3 with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Newkirk was also 2-3 with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Tatum also finished 2-3 with an rbi.
Heustess batted 2-4 with a triple, 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Wooten finished 2-4 with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. McGill smashed the rbi double and scored twice.
Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles evened their conference record at 1-1 and are 2-3 overall. East Bladen will host Heide Trask Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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