West Bladen Rally Falls Short Against Clinton, Sets Up Key Conference Rematch

Weston Hillburn at bat for West Bladen.

Clinton, NC - West Bladen dropped a close one on Tuesday night, falling 4-3 to Clinton in a tightly contested Southeastern Athletic Conference (SAC 6) matchup.

The loss brings the Knights to a 7-2 overall record and 2-1 in conference play, placing them in a four-way tie atop the SAC 6 standings alongside Midway, Fairmont, and Clinton—all sitting at 2-1.

Despite the final score, the Knights put together a strong performance at the plate and on the mound.

Leadoff man Garrett Dunham helped set the tone early with two solid base hits and came around to score one of West Bladen’s three runs. Tyler Lewis, who contributed both offensively and on the mound, also crossed the plate and added a hit of his own.

Cade Allen continued his consistent presence in the batter’s box with a pair of hits, showing poise and patience at the plate. Brady Durden added to the hit column as well, keeping the Knights’ offense moving.

Daniel Bryan delivered one of the game’s biggest swings, driving in two runs to keep West Bladen within striking distance, bringing the lead down to 4-3 in the top of the 6th. Ashton Davis chipped in with a base knock and scored a key run as well.

JT Hepler drove in one of the Knights’ three runs and worked a walk, while Weston Hillburn showed a good eye at the plate, reaching via a base on balls.

On the mound, Hepler got the start but exited early, leading to a strong relief effort from Lewis. In 3.2 innings of work, Lewis allowed just one hit and one run—none of which were earned—and struck out two while walking a pair.

Hunter Hester followed with a gritty two-inning appearance, surrendering four hits but limiting the damage to a single run (again, unearned) while striking out three and walking just one.

With the loss, the stakes are now higher for West Bladen heading into Friday’s rematch against Clinton, this time on home turf.

The winner will move into a tie for first place in the SAC 6 with the victor of the Midway vs. Fairmont matchup on Friday, both of whom also hold 2-1 conference records.

A win on Friday could put the Knights right back at the top of the standings.

As the season heats up and conference play intensifies, West Bladen has shown that they have the depth, grit, and talent to contend down the stretch.

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West Bladen Rally Falls Short Against Clinton, Sets Up Key Conference Rematch