Bleckley County opened a tough four-game stretch with a solid 4-1 win over Emanuel County Institute on Monday in a non-region matchup.
ECI put immediate pressure on the Royals in the top of the first inning, loading the bases with no outs. Despite the early threat, Bleckley County limited the damage to just one run, keeping the deficit manageable at 1-0.
The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Lane Sapp came through with an RBI single to tie the game and shift momentum in favor of the Royals.
The Royals took the lead for good in the fifth inning. Walker Boatright delivered an RBI single to make it 2-1, and the Royals capitalized further by adding two more runs in the inning to build a 4-1 advantage.
Thomas Evans handled the rest on the mound, pitching a complete game to secure the win. He allowed just four hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking two, finishing the game efficiently on 77 pitches.
With the victory, Bleckley County improves its momentum heading back into region play sitting at 18-3 overall. The Royals will travel to Dublin on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against the Dublin Fighting Irish.
