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DUBLIN – West Bladen banged out 12 hits to outscore South Robeson 9-6 Wednesday night in non-conference baseball action.
“We put the bat on the ball tonight,” said Knight Coach Kim Cain.
The Knights jumped in front 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Weston Pidgeon drew a walk and raced home when senior Jarrett Williams hammered a triple to the rightfield fence. Williams dashed home on a wild pitch.
Junior Scott Bowen smacked a single to centerfield, advanced on a fielder’s choice and sprinted home when freshman Logan West yanked a single down the leftfield line.
The Knights tacked on 2 more runs in the second inning. Senior T. J. Guyton ripped a single to left-centerfield and took second when the ball was mishandled. Williams raked a single over the first base bag to drive in Guyton. Williams moved up on a passed ball and galloped home when Bowen drilled a single to right-centerfield for a 5-0 lead.
The Mustangs rallied for 4 runs in the third to slice the lead to 5-4 on 2 walks, 2 hitbatsmen, and 2 errors.
Senior Hunter Pait lined a single to left-centerfield to begin the Knight half of the third. Pidgeon slammed a double to left-centerfield, and Guyton walloped a triple to left-centerfield that scored Pait and Pidgeon. Williams launched a sacrifice fly that scored Guyton and padded the lead to 8-4.
The Mustangs tacked on runs in the fourth and fifth innings to trim the margin to 8-6. West Bladen answered with a run in the sixth inning. Logan West belted a single to rightfield, and junior Trey Storms walked. Pait advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, and an error on Pidgeon’s ground ball scored Logan West.
Lefthander Ian Sykes pitched the first 5 innings to pick up the win. Sykes allowed 6 runs – 4 earned – on 6 walks and 4 hits while striking out four. Storms earned the save with 2 perfect innings of relief. Storms struck out one.
Guyton batted 2-3 with a triple, 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored. Logan West was also 2-3 with an rbi. Williams finished 2-4 at the plate with a triple, 3 rbi’s and 2 runs scored.
Pidgeon batted 2-4 with a double and 2 runs scored. Bowen finished 2-4 at the plate with an rbi and a run scored. Pait and senior Caleb Sholar connected for one hit each, and Pait scored a run.
The Knights improved to 1-3 with the victory and will host Union Friday night in their Four County Conference opener.
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