GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — The good pitching, good defense and good hitting that helped West Bladen win its first two games in the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series over the weekend was nowhere to be found Monday night, as the Alabama state champions scored in every inning and took an 11-1 win over the Knights.
The loss eliminates West Bladen from the tournament with a 2-2 record and completes their season with an 18-7 record.
The Knights got on the board in the top of the first inning when Jeremy Hunt led off with a double to left and Seth Britt followed with a walk. But Hunt was erased on a fielder’s choice before Trent West singled to load the bases before Chandler Lennon lofted a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 edge. Donald McCullum walked to load the bases again, but the threat fizzled.
Alabama knotted the game in the home half of the first thanks to two walks, a hit batter, a single and a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the second, Alabama plated two runs behind a walk, hit batter, single and wild pitch for a 3-1 lead.
After West Bladen went quietly for the second straight inning, Alabama broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the third using a walk, two singles, a wild pitch and a double for a 6-1 advantage.
West Bladen could muster only a single by Ray Jones in the fourth, and Alabama went back to work in the bottom of the inning to score twice on a walk, passed ball, error and double for an 8-1 lead.
The Knights opened the fifth frame with a single from Jonathan Ashworth and a walk to Hunt.But two fielder’s choices and a groundout erased any threat.
In the home half of the fifth, Alabama used a hit batter, an error,a double and a single to score three runs and end the game on the 10-run rule.
West took the loss for West Bladen on the hill, going 2.2 innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on six hits, three walks and two hit batters, He also struck out four, Scott Bowen finished up in relief, going 2,1 innings and giving up five earned runs on four hits, one walk, one hit batter and one strikeout.
At the plate, Ashworth was 1-for-1; West was 1-for-3; Hunt was 1-for-2 with a double; Ray Jones was 1-for-2; and Lennon had the lone RBI.