DUBLIN — West Bladen found itself in a 5-0 hole and couldn’t quite climb out en route to a 6-4 non-conference loss to visiting Wallace-Rose Hill on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs plated a trio of runs in the first inning, added a run in the second and, after a scoreless third, tacked on a fifth run in the fourth.
The Knights finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Dalton Pait, Kaleb Heup and Dawson Bryan all singled to load the bases ahead of a sacrifice fly by Logan West to cut the gap to 5-1.
After a scoreless sixth, Wallace-Rose Hill added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but West Bladen had rallying on its collective mind.
The Knights scored three runs in the home half when Pait and Derrick Long each got plunked by a pitch, Bryan smashed a two-run triple, West walked and Scott Bowen lofted a sacrifice fly to pull West Bladen within 6-4 — and that’s where the rally fizzled.
At the plate, Bryan was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI; Nolan Bryant was 2-for-3 with a double; and Jake Butler had a double.
West Bladen will return to Three Rivers Conference play Friday at Whiteville starting at 7 p.m.