Eagles Show Offensive Spark, Solid Pitching in Narrow 4-3 Loss to East Columbus

Lake Waccamaw NC - The East Bladen Eagles showed an offensive spark and solid pitching in a narrow 4-3 loss on the road to East Columbus.

The Eagles took an early lead, but the Gators clawed their way back, using small-ball tactics and timely hitting to secure the win.

The game opened with East Bladen striking first in the top of the first inning. Isaiah Lee put the Eagles on the board with a fielder’s choice that brought Davion Lewis across home plate, giving East Bladen a 1-0 advantage.

However, East Columbus quickly responded in the bottom half when Landyn Jacobs grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Adrion Jennerette to score and knot the game at one apiece.

The Eagles reclaimed the lead in the top of the second when Lewis came through again, delivering a sharp line drive single that plated Andrew Musselwhite, making it 2-1 in favor of East Bladen.

That lead held until the fourth inning when East Columbus evened things up once again, this time on an RBI single by Xavier King that scored Jacobs.

The momentum shifted in the fifth inning as East Columbus capitalized on a key sequence to take control. Jacobs laid down a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, allowing Kamden Coker to cross the plate for the go-ahead run.

Moments later, Noah Jacobson added insurance for the Gators, racing home on a wild pitch to push the lead to 4-2.

East Bladen refused to go down without a fight.

In the top of the sixth, Jayce Hatcher took advantage of a wild pitch to score, trimming the deficit to one.

However, East Columbus held firm, keeping the Eagles off the board in the final frame to seal the victory.

Davion Lewis continued to be a spark at the plate, reaching base three times with a hit and two walks while also tallying an RBI and a run scored.

Isaiah Lee contributed an RBI and worked a walk. Jayce Hatcher made his presence felt, scoring a key run.

Easton Bostic, Andrew Musselwhite, and Aiden Hargrove each added a hit to East Bladen’s effort, with Musselwhite crossing the plate for a run.

Colton Daly showed patience at the plate, drawing a walk.

Jayce Hatcher took the ball as the starter and turned in a solid performance, striking out six batters over 4.1 innings.

Davion Lewis came in as the reliever and kept the Eagles within striking distance, recording two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.

The Eagles will look to bounce back at home in a rematch against East Columbus on Friday as they continue to build momentum for the season ahead.

Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R

East Bladen - 1 1 0 0  0 1 0 3

East Columbus - 1 0 0 1 2 0 - 4