Bladen County lost the opening round game of the North Carolina State championship series in Dixie Majors Baseball (ages 17 and 18) played last week at North Stanly High School near Albemarle.

The Bladen County squad fell to Stanly County 18-8 in the first game of the best-of-three series. Bladen advanced to the championship, series after winning the Eastern Regional the week before in Shallotte.

Bladen County led 4-0 after two innings before seeing Stanly erupt for five runs in the third and 10 in the fourth, taking a 17-4 lead.

Stanly went on to score its final run in the sixth. Bladen added two in the fourth and two in the sixth.

D.J. Meshaw pitched the first three innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out two.

Lee Todd pitched the fourth inning and Jason Griffin pitched the final three innings.

Todd gave up six hits and walked two. Griffin gave up two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Bladen County used an error, a walk and singles by Meshaw, Todd, Derick Wright and A.J. Lee to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

Singles by Teffery McKoy, Meshaw, and Todd gave Bladen another run and the 4-0 advantage in the second.

Bladen two runs in the fourth came off an error, a single by Todd and a fielder's choice.

The two Bladen runs in the sixth came on a single by Dustin Melvin, a fielder's choice and an error.