ELIZABETHTOWN — East Bladen saw its 2-0 lead evaporate, but rallied for a 3-2 win over visiting West Columbus on Friday with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The win improves the Eagles to 1-1.
East Bladen opened a 2-0 advantage in the third inning when Dan Tatum tattooed a triple and came home on a sacrifice fly by Sincere Smith. Kyle Tatum then laced a single that was misplayed, and Tatum sped all the way home.
The Vikings cut the deficit in half with a run in the fourth frame, but East Bladen threatened in the home half when Xavier Wooten ripped a triple and two walks loaded the bases. The Eagles couldn’t push a run across, however.
After two scoreless innings, West Columbus manufactured a two-out run in the top of the seventh to knot the game at 2-2.
East Bladen, though, got an infield hit from Shy Pone, who went to second when the throw got away, and came home with the winning run when Smith smoked a single.
Ty Watkins hurled a complete-game win, giving up five hits, two walks and striking out seven.
At the plate, Wooten was 2-for-3 with the triple.
East Bladen will host St. Pauls on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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Softball
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In Elizabethtown on Friday, visiting West Columbus piled on four runs late in the game and earned a 7-1 non-conference win over the Lady Eagles.
The Lady Vikings scored a pair of runs in the first inning, then added a run in the second for a 3-0 lead.
After three scoreless innings, East Bladen got a run in the fifth when Abby Cross reached on an infield hit, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson laced a single and Faith Johnson stroked an RBI-single to cut the deficit to 3-1.
But the Lady Vikings plated four runs in the sixth inning, fueled by three East Bladen errors, to seal the win.
Cross was 3-for-3 at the plate for East Bladen, while Moore-Peterson was 2-for-3. Emily Scott had a double for the lady Eagles.
East Bladen will host St. Pauls in a non-conference game on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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Baseball
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In Dublin on Friday, visiting St. Pauls scored 11 runs over three innings to mercy rule West Bladen and take a 12-0 non-conference win.
The loss drops the Knights to 0-3.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, then added five runs in the third, three in the fourth and three more in the fifth to end the game.
West Bladen was held to just three hits in the game — two by Weston Pidgeon.
The Knights will host South Robeson on Wednesday in a non-conference game at 7 p.m.
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Soccer
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On Thursday in Dublin, the Lady Knights fell to visiting West Columbus in a non-conference match, 5-1.
The Lady Vikings put a trio of goals on the board in the first half, then added two more in the second half.
West Bladen avoided the whitewash with a goal in the second half.
The Lady Knights are 0-3 on the season.