03/28/2024
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong

ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior Sincere Smith knocked in sophmore Shy Pone with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning that lifted East Bladen to a 3-2 non-conference baseball victory over West Columbus Friday night.

Pone beat out an infield hit to shortstop with one out in the seventh and took second base when the throw trickled away from the firstbaseman. Smith then lined the single down the rightfield line that easily scored Pone with the winning run.

The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Sophmore Dan Tatum hammered a triple to left-centerfield and scored on Smith’s sacrifice fly. Senior Kyle Tatum, Dan’s brother, lined a single to leftfield that skipped past the Viking fielder as Kyle Tatum raced around the bases.

Sophmore pitcher Cole Benton was hit by a pitch in the Viking fourth inning and scored when Tanner Hinson walloped a double to right-centerfield that trimmed the lead to 2-1.

Junior Xavier Wooten slammed a triple to left-centerfield leading off the home half of the fourth and walks to juniors Quinton Bedsole and Brooks McGill loaded the bases. However a force-out at the plate and a pair of strike-outs ended the Eagle threat.

C. J. Coleman bounced an infield hit over the mound with 2 out in the Viking seventh and sprinted home to tie the game when Dawson Elliott lined a triple that just eluded a diving attempt at a catch by centerfielder McGill.

Junior lefthander Ty Watkins pitched a complete game and struck out 7 to pick up the win for East Bladen. Watkins allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.

Wooten batted 2-3 with a triple to lead the Eagle hitters. Smith singled and drove in 2 runs. Dan Tatum tripled and scored a run, and Kyle Tatum singled and scored a run.

Lefthander Cole Benton pitched the first 5 innings for West Columbus and struck out 5, while walking 4 and allowing 2 runs and 3 hits. His brother, righthander Cody Benton, pitched 1.1 innings of relief and took the loss, striking out 3 and allowing 2 hits and a run.

Coleman batted 3-4 to lead the Viking hitters. Elliott tripled in a run, and Hinson doubled home a run.

Coach Russell Priest’s Eagles evened their record at 1-1 and will host St. Pauls Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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