CERRO GORDO – The West Bladen summer baseball team extended its winning streak to four games in the opener of a Dixie Baseball Pre-Majors twin bill on Monday, but then saw it snapped in the nightcap against West Columbus.
The Knights, who have had 12 of their 20 scheduled games rained out, are now 6-2 on the weather-shortened season.
In the first game Monday, Scott Bowen drilled an infield grounder that turned into a fielder’s choice and an RBI for the first run in the top of the first inning, and Trey Storms followed with an RBI single to give West Bladen a 2-0 lead.
That advantage was extended in the second inning when Nolan Bryant singled, David Valenta was hit by a pitch and, after a wild pitch, Derrick Long got the RBI to give the Knights a 3-0 edge.
Keeping the momentum, West Bladen stretched its lead to 5-0 in the third inning when Logan West walked and Bowen smoked an inside-the-park home run to center.
The Vikings made things interesting with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning against Long, the West Bladen starter, but the Knights scored two runs in the top of the fifth to seal the 7-4 win.
West Columbus scored a run in the home half of the fifth, but could do no more damage.
Long got credit for the win after 3.1 innings of work on the hill, while Bowen finished up and earned the save.
In the second game, the Vikings jumped all over West Bladen with five runs in the first inning and seven more in the second to take a 12-1 win.
The Knights are scheduled to host East Bladen in a double-header at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.