TABOR CITY — Gaston Russ and Hunter Hester combined to go 7-for-8 with four runs batted in Friday night as West Bladen won its eighth straight, beating South Columbus 8-3 in a Southeastern Conference baseball game.
Hester was 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Russ was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to lead the 14-hit attack for West Bladen (16-6, 5-3 Southeastern). Aidan Trinidad and J.T. Hepler each had two hits and two RBIs. Chase Bryan, Weston Hilburn and Jackson Smith each had a hit.
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Ashton Davis pitched the first five innings for the Knights and got the win. He yielded three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two. Hepler allowed two hits and struck out one over the final two innings.
The Knights scored in every inning except the third.
Hepler opened the game with a walk and scored on Hester’s double. In the second, Hepler’s double scored Smith and Russ. In the fourth, Russ led off with a single and later scored on Trinidad’s single.
Russ had a two-run double in the fifth that put the Knights ahead 6-1. Hester’s second double of the game drove home Hepler in the sixth. West Bladen’s final run came in the seventh with Hilburn doubled and courtesy runner Jonah Bryan scored on Trinidad’s single.
West Bladen closes its regular season next week with a pair of games against South Brunswick (14-7, 6-2).
Girls’ Soccer: West Bladen 3, South Columbus 1
In Tabor City, the Knights clinched second place in the Southeastern Conference with a victory against South Columbus.
Roslyn Sanchez-Trejo, Makenna Thurman and Hadley Dove scored in the first half for the Knights (6-9-2, 4-1-1 Southeastern), who avenged a 2-0 loss against South Columbus (5-9-1, 1-5-0 Southeastern) on Tuesday, April 21.
La’Naya Moore assisted on two of West Bladen’s goals and Dove also had an assist. Ashley Baiza Rivon made four saves. Genesis Castro-Catarero led with seven steals.
West Bladen ends its regular season with a pair of matches against first place South Brunswick (12-3-1, 6-0-0 Southeastern).
Softball: South Columbus 3, West Bladen 0
In Tabor City, South Columbus scored three times in the first inning and Kasey Cribb pitched a two-shutout in a win against West Bladen.
Cribb struck out five, walked two and allowed singles to West Bladen’s Allison Hickman and Addison Wilcox.
Freshman Maycee Kinlaw went the distance in the circle for the Knights (9-9, 6-2 Southeastern). She allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked three.
The lone runs for South Columbus (7-9, 5-3 Southeastern) in the game came on an RBI single by Cadence Strickland and a two-out, two-run double by Taylor Duncan in the bottom of the first.
West Bladen had runners on first and second in the first inning, but couldn’t score. In the fifth, Karlee Gause led off with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jahyrah Priest and moved to third on Abigail Dew’s ground out, but was left stranded.
The Knights close their regular season next week with a pair of games against conference-leading South Brunswick (15-4, 8-0).
JV Baseball: West Bladen 13, South Columbus 8
In Tabor City, West Bladen pounded out 14 hits in outscoring South Columbus
Luke Bryant, Sawyer King and Corben Chadwick each had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Knights (7-5). Cole Brisson had two hits and an RBI. Brooks Carroll was 2-for-3. Devan Stanley, Stryker Pait, Aidan Thompson and Graylen Robinson each had a hit with Stanley and Thompson driving in a run apiece.
Carroll and Brisson combined to allow eight runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks in three innings.
West Bladen scored six times in the third to open a 10-3 lead, but the Stallions countered with five runs that cut it to 10-8. The Knights scored three more in the fourth. The game was halted because of the time limit.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
HIGH SCHOOL
Baseball
Varsity: West Bladen 8, South Columbus 3
JV: West Bladen 13, South Columbus 8
Softball
South Columbus 3, West Bladen 0
Girls’ Soccer
West Bladen 3, South Columbus 1
RECREATION
Bladen County DYB Minors
Bladenboro Navy 8, Clarkton 6
MONDAY, APRIL 27
HIGH SCHOOL
Boys’ Golf
East Bladen in Carolina championship, Vineyard Golf at White Lake, 3 p.m.
West Bladen in Southeastern championship, Land ‘O Lakes Golf Club, 1 p.m.
Boys’ Tennis
NCHSAA 3A Dual Team Playoffs
West Bladen at South Columbus, 4 p.m.
Track & Field
West Bladen in Southeastern championship, South Columbus, 4 p.m.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Baseball/Softball
West Columbus at Tar Heel, 4 p.m.
Tabor City at Bladenboro, 4 p.m.
RECREATION
Elizabethtown DYB Majors at Bladenboro
Cubs at Bladenboro, 7:30 p.m.
Elizabethtown DYB Minors at Leinwand Park
Red Sox vs. Phillies, 6 p.m.
Dodgers vs. Tigers, 6 p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
HIGH SCHOOL
Baseball
Lakewood at East Bladen, JV 4 p.m., Varsity 6 p.m.
West Bladen at South Brunswick, JV 4 p.m., Varsity 7 p.m.
Softball
Lakewood at East Bladen, 6 p.m.
West Bladen at South Brunswick, 6 p.m.
Girls’ Soccer
West Bladen at South Brunswick, 6 p.m.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Baseball/Softball
Clarkton at Williams Township, 4 p.m.
Tar Heel at Whiteville, 4 p.m.
Golf
Emereau vs. Elizabethtown Christian, Vineyard Golf at White Lake, 3 p.m.
RECREATION
Bladen County DYB Majors
Bladenboro at Clarkton, 7:30 p.m.
Bladen County DYB Minors
Bladenboro Yard Goats at Clarkton, 6 p.m.
Elizabethtown DYB Coach-Pitch at Leinwand Park
Mets vs. Diamondbacks, 6 p.m.
Royals vs. Pirates, 6 p.m.
8-10-Year-Old Softball at County Park
Thunder vs. Rockets, 6 p.m.
Heat vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m.
5-7-Year-Old at County Park
Falcons vs. Sweet Heat, 6 p.m.
Diamond Queens vs. Suncats, 7:30 p.m.
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