TEACHEY — A porous defense and cold bats doomed West Bladen on Friday, when Wallace-Rose Hill took a 5-2 Four County Conference win.
The loss dropped the Knights to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
The Bulldogs scored in the bottom of the first, then added four unearned runs across the third and fourth innings to open a 5-0 lead while the West Bladen bats were frigid.
In the fifth frame, the Knights got on the board when a trio of singles — by Trent West, Chandler Lennon and Scott Bowen — filled the bases. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Seth Britt scored West and a Wallace-Rose Hill error scored another run on the play to cut the gap to 5-2.
The Knights nearly rallied in the seventh inning, but a controversial play that was overturned twice after each coach questioned the call all but kayoed the inning for West Bladen. Still, the Knights got a one-out double by Lennon and single from Troy Edge before the uprising fizzled.
Lennon was 2-for-3 with a double to lead the Knights.
West Bladen will host Heidi Trask on Tuesday and Pender County on Wednesday. Both games start at 7 p.m.