GEORGETOWN – The Blythewood baseball team (15-2, 8-0 Region 4-5A) extended its winning streak to 13 games with a 7-6 win over West Florence Thursday, a 9-3 victory over Georgetown to start a tournament at Georgetown Monday, and a 6-4 come-from-behind win against Wando Tuesday.
The Bengals, who held a 4-1 lead over the Knights going into the sixth inning, gave up five runs in that frame to go down 6-4. They rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to keep the win streak alive.
With two outs, Sergio Melendez on second base after his 1-out single single and Amare Counts at first after a 2-out an intentional walk, Brandon Bolton singled in Melendez and brought Counts to third after an outfield error on the play. Counts scored on a wild pitch to Johnny Collins to make it 6-6.
Collins was also intentionally passed, and with courtesy runner J Campbell running for Bolton at second, Andrew Blackwell’s double to right scored Campbell.
Chance Johnson walked, and with Collins at third and Johnson at first, Caleb Blackwell grounded out to retire the side.
Johnson, who took the mound in relief of starting pitcher Andrew Blackwell in the sixth inning, sat the Knights down in order to close out the win.
Andrew Blackwell had two hits including the RBI double, Counts hit a 2-run home run in the third inning, and Melendez was 3-for-4.
Against Georgetown Blythewood overcame a 3-0 deficit with a 3-run fourth inning. In that frame with nobody out and Andrew Blackwell and Johnson on base, Caleb Blackwell laid down a bunt single and both Andrew Blackwell and Johnson scored to cut the lead to 3-2. Blackwell then came home on Navy Strickland’s sacrifice fly.
Johnson drove in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning when Andrew Blackwell scored on Johnson’s single to centerfield. The Bengals went up 5-3 in the fifth inning on C Penfield’s sacrifice fly that scored Strickland.
Blythewood put the game out of reach with four runs in the sixth with Caleb Blackwell’s one-out 2-run single and Counts’ two-out, 2-run line drive double to center.
Against Wando, the Bengals trailed 4-3 going into the top of the seventh and rallied for three runs. With two outs and Counts and Collins on base, Andrew Blackwell singled in Counts to tie the game at four. Johnson then hit a line-drive single to center that scored Collins and Blackwell to put the Bengals up by two runs.
Caleb Blackwell struck out to end the inning and Johnson gave up two hits in the bottom of the seventh, but closed out the win.
Blythewood starts the second half of the schedule with a home game against region rival Sumter Tuesday.
Thursday
W Florence – 0-0-1-0-0-5-0 – 6-4-2
Blythewood – 0-0-2-2-0-3-X – 7-10-4
WP: Chance Johnson, 2 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 1K.
W – James Arthur 2 RBI.
B – Sergio Melendez 3-4. Andrew Blackwell 2-2, 2B. Amare Counts, HR, 2RBI.
Monday
Blythewood – 0-0-0-3-1-1-4 – 9-12-2
Georgetown – 3-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 3-5-2
WP: Caleb Blackwell, 7 IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 5K.
B –Amare Counts 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI. Chance Johnson 3-3. Caleb Blackwell 2-4. Andrew Blackwell 2-4.
G – Connor Hardee 2B. Jackson Lambert 2B.
Tuesday
Blythewood – 0-0-2-0-0-1-3 – 6-10-1
Wando – 1-0-2-1-0-0-0 – 4-9-1
WP: Chance Johnson, 2 IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K.
B – Chance Johnson 2-4, 3 RBI. Brandon Bolton 2-4, 2B.
W – Anthony Montelone 2-4, 2B. Evan Johnson 2-4. Brian Culbertson 2-4, Aidan Lieberman 2-4. Jake DiMartino 2B.