CLARKTON – Colby White and Logan West combined to pitch a 4-hitter that carried Bladenboro to a 4-1 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Clarkton School of Discovery Tuesday.
White pitched 5 scoreless innings and allowed 2 hits and 5 walks while striking out three to pick up the victory. West picked up the save with 2 innings of relief and gave up a run on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out three.
Double plays kept both teams scoreless in the first 2 innings. Bladenboro loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first, but Blue Devil secondbaseman Garrett Melvin snared a liner and doubled a runner off first with a peg to firstbaseman Jacob Priest.
Bulldog shortstop West speared a grounder near second in the Clarkton first, stepped on the bag and fired to firstbaseman Braylon Williamson to complete the double play. In the Blue Devil second, West started another double play with a flip to secondbaseman Nolan Bryant who gunned the ball on to Williamson.
After loading the bases in each of the first 2 innings, Bladenboro broke the ice with a run in the third. Jake Butler was hit by a pitch, and White smacked a single. Lant Pait’s ground ball scored Butler for a 1-0 Bulldog lead.
Bladenboro left the bases loaded again in the fourth and had 2 runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings before padding the lead with 3 runs in the seventh. Noah Deaver belted a one-out single, and Tra Ballard reached base on an error. West cracked a single to load the bases.
Bryant walked to force home Deaver, and Butler was hit by a pitch to force home Ballard. White reached on an error as West scored to put the Bulldogs up 4-0.
The Blue Devils threatened with 2 runners on base in the third and sixth innings, before scoring their lone run in the home seventh. Jake Evans laced a one-out single, and Gabe Barber hammered a 2-out triple to drive in Evans.
Barber batted 2-4 with the rbi triple. Evans also finished 2-4 at the plate with a run scored.
Deaver batted 2-4 with a double and a run scored to lead the Bulldog hitters. White finished 2-5 at the plate, West singled and scored a run, and Bryant singled and drove in a run. Pait and Butler had an rbi each, and Butler and Ballard scored one run each.
J. T. Junious started on the mound for the Blue Devils, and Clarkton pitching struck out seven, but allowed 8 walks, 5 hit batters and 6 hits. Four errors also hurt the Blue Devils.
Coach Steve Thurman’s Bulldogs remained unbeaten at 3-0 with the victory.
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