03/28/2024
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BURGAW – Trent West struck out 14 and eight West Bladen players had at least one hit as the Knights routed Pender 10-2 on Tuesday in a Four County Conference baseball game.

West, a junior who has been limited to only 18 innings pitched this season because of shoulder problems, was in command from the start. He didn’t allow a hit until an infield single with one out in the fifth inning and pitched into the seventh inning. The right-hander finished with a two hitter over 6 1/3 innings, walked four, threw 113 pitches and allowed one earned run. West struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings.

Jarrett Williams closed out the game, giving up a walk and striking out one in the three batters he face.

Offensively, the Knights collected 14 hits, and broke open the game with five runs in the seventh inning. West had three infield singles in four trips to the plate and drove in a run. Donald McCullum and Troy Edge each had two hits and two runs batted in. Weston Pidgeon and Chandler Lennon each had two hits and drove in a run. Jeremy Hunt had a hit, drove in two runs and circled the bases after his single was misplayed and rolled to the fence. Seth Britt and Ray Jones each had one hit, with Jones scoring three runs.

The win improved West Bladen’s record to 6-12 overall and 5-5 in Four County play. The Knights have won two consecutive games for the first time this season. They will close out their home schedule this week, hosting Wallace-Rose Hill on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and play Clinton on Senior Night on Friday at 7 p.m.

Pender is 2-15, 2-9.

After two scoreless innings, each team scored a run in the third inning. For West Bladen, Edge reached on an error and was forced at second on Hunt’s grounder to second. Hunt went to second on a throwing error on the play, moved to third on Pidgeon single up the middle and scored on Lennon’s single to left.

Pender tied it in its half of the third on a one-out walk to Justin Fedoronko, passed ball, ground out and wild pitch.

West Bladen regained the lead with two runs in the fourth. Britt opened the inning with a single to left, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on McCullum’s single up the middle. Jones reached on a fielder’s choice with McCullum forced at second. Edge ripped a double to deep center that moved Jones to third. Hunt’s ground out scored Jones that gave the Knights a 3-1 lead.

West Bladen added another run in the fifth. Lennon led off with a double, stole third on scored on West’s misjudged infield pop that fell for a single.

Pender scored its second run in the fifth. Braxton Treto got the Patriots’ first hit on an one-out infield single to short, stole second and scored on Fedoronko’s two-out single to left that cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Knights plated another run in the sixth. Jones lined a single to center, moved to second on a ground out, advanced to third on another ground out, and scored on Pidgeon’s infield single.

West Bladen’s broke it open with five runs in the seventh after two outs. West led off with his third infield hit. Courtesy runner Jonathan Ashworth was advanced to second on Williams’ sacrifice bunt. After the second out, McCullum singled and Ashworth scored. Jones walked. Edge followed with his second crushed double of the game that scored McCullum and Jones. Hunt followed with a single to right that scored Edge, and Hunt circled the bases when the ball got past the right fielder.

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