DEEP RUN — Julius Battle won the triple jump and a pair of relay teams crossed the finish line first Thursday in leading the East Bladen boys’ track and field team to a victory in the seven-team ECC meet at South Lenoir High School.
The Eagles won with 111 points, which was five points ahead of second-place East Duplin.
Master sports schedule | Standings
Battle won the triple jump at 39-feet, 5 inches, which was 15 inches further than teammate Jaden Lewis, who placed second. Battle placed third in the long jump at 19-4.
East Bladen’s 4×100 relay team won in 44.50 seconds and the 4×200 team won in 1:31.96. The 4×400 relay team finished second in 3:43.52.
The East Bladen girls’ squad scored eight points. East Duplin won with 140. No East Bladen girls’ athlete finished in the top three of an event.
Other East Bladen boys’ athletes placing second or third were:
Riley Collins, second in 200 in 23.63 seconds and third in 100 at 11.74 seconds.
Tevin McLean, third in 200 in 23.93 seconds.
Xavier Potts, second in 400 in 54.68 seconds.
Jayden Hawkins, third in 300 hurdles in 45.20 seconds.
Dashon Campbell, second in discus at 133 feet, 4 inches.
Baseball: West Bladen 10, St. Pauls 6
In Bladenboro, J.T. Hepler homered for the second consecutive game and Aiden Trinidad allowed a run over the final three innings as the Knights won their fifth straight game, outscoring St. Pauls in a non-conference contest.
Chase Bryan was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs for West Bladen (13-6). Hunter Hester was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Hepler had two hits while Ashton Davis, Jerod Smith, Weston Hilburn, Daniel Bryan and Trinidad each had a hit.
The Knights increased a 7-5 lead with three runs in the sixth on a run-producing double to left by Hester followed by a two-run double by Chase Bryan.
Baseball: North Duplin 10, East Bladen 6
In Elizabethtown, North Duplin held off East Bladen at Russell Priest Field. The Rebels scored three times in the top of the seventh after the Eagles had cut the deficit to one on a three-run double by pinch-hitter Isaiah Lee.
The Rebels (7-4, 6-3 Carolina) jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings.
East Bladen (7-10, 4-4 Carolina) got on the board in the third on a bases loaded walk to Jayce Hatcher that forced in Cade Rogers and a sacrifice fly by Taylor Eason that plated Zach Sholar.
The Eagles countered a North Duplin run in the fourth with one of their own in the bottom of the inning that made it 7-3. Sholar’s bases-loaded walk forced home courtesy runner Omar Powell, who was running for Colton Daly after he led off the inning with a walk.
Daly was 2-for-2 with two walks for the East Bladen offense. Lewis, Lee, Jaxon Hair and Rogers each had a hit.
Softball: North Duplin 12, East Bladen 3
In Elizabethtown, North Duplin erupted for nine runs in the seventh inning to break a 3-all tie and post the Carolina Conference victory. The Rebels (10-1, 7-1 Carolina) sent 13 batters to the plate and used eight hits and a pair of walks to pull away.
The Eagles (5-10, 3-3 Carolina) put together a two-out rally to score their three runs in the third. Taylor Dowless walked and Gracey Edwards was hit by a pitch. Tatum Allen followed with a sharp single to left that scored Dowless. Edwards and courtesy runner Tenley Dowless scored on wild pitches.
North Duplin tallied a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to tie it.
Taylor Dowless, Allen, Jenna Brice and Aaliyah Monroe each had a hit for East Bladen. Jenna Brice went the distance in the circle.
JV Baseball: East Bladen 7, North Duplin 5
In Elizabethtown, a pair of run-producing groundouts by Chandler Wall and Fox Sutton in the final inning sparked the Eagles past North Duplin in a Carolina Conference contest.
One-out singles by Omar Powell and Zamarion Pone in the fourth inning set the stage for the deciding groundouts that snapped a 5-all tie.
Powell also had a leadoff triple in the first inning. Gunner Lewis had a triple and scored on an error on the play. Wall, Ryne Priest and Prince Powell each had a hit for East Bladen (4-4).
Fox Sutton went the distance on the mound for the Eagles. He allowed five hits and struck out four.
JV Baseball: West Bladen 11. St. Pauls 4
In Bladenboro, Brooks Carroll went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs as the Knights scored early in a non-conference win against St. Pauls.
West Bladen (5-5) plated five runs in the first inning and four more in the second for a 9-1 advantage.
Luke Bryant had two hits for West Bladen. Gaston Russ, Sawyer King and Corbin Chadwick each had a hit. Chadwick, Cole Brisson and Carroll combined to pitch a six-hitter.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Baseball: Harrells Christian 5, Emereau 1
In Harrells, a pair of Harrells Academy pitchers combined to pitch a one-hitter in beating the Aviators. Ryder Britt singled to center in the first inning for the lone hit for Emereau (4-5).
Emereau’s lone run came in the fifth inning. Baylor Gooden reached third base on an error and scored on Luke Hair’s ground out to second.
RECREATION
Co-Ed Volleyball
In Elizabethtown, regular season co-champions Mission Unblockable and Quik Sets advanced to the semifinals of the Bladen County Recreation Department’s co-ed volleyball tournament at King Street Gym. Spikological Warfare and Chewblocca also won first-round matches.
The semifinal and championship matches are scheduled Tuesday.
Dixie Youth Baseball
In Elizabethtown, the Diamondbacks and Yankees posted victories at Leinwand Park and share first place.
Standings: Diamondbacks 4-1, Yankees 4-1, Mets 3-1, Royals 1-4, Pirates 0-5.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
HIGH SCHOOL
Baseball
Varsity: West Bladen 10, St. Pauls 6
Varsity: North Duplin 10, East Bladen 6
JV: East Bladen 7, North Duplin 5
JV: West Bladen 11, St. Pauls 4
Softball
North Duplin 12, East Bladen 3
Girls’ Soccer
East Bladen 3, North Duplin 0
Track & Field
ECC meet: Boys – East Bladen 111, East Duplin 106, South Lenoir 90, Pender 69, Southwest Onslow 53, Heide Trask 50, Clinton 46. Girls – East Duplin 140, Heide Trask 106.5, Clinton 78, Southwest Onslow 55.5, South Lenoir 54, Pender 52, East Bladen 8.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Baseball
Nakina 12, Clarkton 2
Whiteville 20, Tar Heel 0
Harrells Christian 5, Emereau 1
Softball
Fayetteville Homeschool 16, Emereau 12
Nakina 10, Clarkton 0
Whiteville 25, Tar Heel 1
Girls’ Soccer
Emereau 0, Cape Fear Academy B 0
RECREATION
Elizabethtown DYB Majors
Cubs vs. Clarkton
Elizabethtown DYB Coach-Pitch
Yankees 13, Royals 9
Diamondbacks 13, Pirates 3
Bladen County DYB Minors
Clarkton at Bladenboro Navy
Co-ed Volleyball Tournament
Mission Unblockable won by forfeit over White’s Creek Baptist
Spikological Warfare 2, LF 0 (25-14, 25-12)
Chewblocca 2, Bumpin Buddies 1 (25-21, 20-25, 15-10)
Quik Sets 2, Southern Thunder 0 (25-16, 25-20)
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
HIGH SCHOOL
Baseball
West Bladen at Red Springs, 6 p.m.
Softball
West Bladen at Red Springs, 6 p.m.
Girls’ Soccer
West Bladen at Red Springs, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
RECREATION
Bladen County DYB Majors at McLean Park
Clarkton vs. Bladenboro
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