DUBLIN — Madison Collins scattered three hits, didn’t allow a base-runner past second base and drove in two runs to lead West Bladen to a 10-0 Four County Conference win over visiting Heidi Trask.

The Lady Knights improved to 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference.

After a scoreless first inning, Collins struck out the side in the top of the second before West Bladen loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning. Carley Dawson reached on an error and consecutive walks to Kyla Reed and Collins filled the bags, but the Lady Knights couldn’t push across a run and the score stayed 0-0.

West Bladen erupted for four runs in the third inning behind five hits, a walk, an error, a wild pitch and two stolen bases. Logan Autry started things with a one-out bunt single and went to third on a throwing error. Alanna Ludlum brought Autry home with a single to right-center, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and, after a walk to Laikyn Pait, scored on an RBI single by Dawson to left-center. Conner Brisson singled hard to right to load the bases and, after a second out, Collins lofted a fly ball to left-center fell untouched for a two-single and 4-0 lead.

Brisson, who tried to score from first, was nipped at the plate to end the inning.

That opened the floodgates for West Bladen.

The Lady Knights scored four more runs in the fourth on three hits, two errors, a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly. Kassidy Anderson started it off with a one-out walk, followed by a single by Autry and error that moved the runners up, a sacrifice fly by Ludlum, an RBI single by Pait, a single up the middle by Dawson, an error that brought a run home and an RBI single by Reed for an 8-0 advantage.

In the home half of the fifth, West Bladen scored twice to finish the game on the mercy rule. Autry laced a one-out single and Ludlum smoked an RBI triple to the wall in left-center before Pait ended the game with a run-scoring single.

“We got solid pitching from Madison and good defense behind her,” said West Bladen coach Joey Autry. “We also ran the bases well, but we didn’t start out hitting the ball very well. A lot of pop-ups.”

Collins earned the win in the circle, twirling the three-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts.

At the plate, Autry was 3-for-4 to lead the Lady Knights’ 10-hit attack; Ludlum was 2-for-3 with the triple and three RBI; Dawson was 2-for-3 with an RBI; Pait was 1-for-3 with two RBI; and Brisson was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

West Bladen will travel to face cross-county conference rival East Bladen on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

W. Curt Vincent can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.

W. Curt Vincent

cvincent@civitasmedia.com