The Blythewood baseball team opened the South Carolina Diamond Invitational tournament with a 4-1 victory over Nations Ford Wednesday night at the Blythewood baseball field.
Bengals starter Daniel Zippel worked a complete game 3-hitter, striking out five. His only run was unearned. Blythewood (11-8) got started in the first inning, when Ben Lang-Spittler and Aidan Massey singled and Landon Cruz was hit by an Evan Lammers pitch to load the bases with one out. Josh Cowan singled in Lang-Spittler.
Before the Bengals could get any more, Zach Bailes hit into a 6-3 double play to end the inning and strand two.
Blythewood took a 2-0 lead with an unearned run in the second. Jordan Flemming reached base on a 2-out error and took second as Lang-Spittler batted. Lang-Spittler hit a grounder to third baseman Carter McCrain, but first baseman Haydon Mobbs couldn’t hold onto the throw, which enabled Flemming to score. Todd Mattox ended the inning on a groundout.
The Bengals picked up two more runs in the fifth. Massey and Cruz singled with one out, and Cowan enabled Massey to score when he reached on an error. Zach Bailes bunt singled to drive in Cruz for the second run.
Landon Lucas singled to load the bases with one out, but Brady Beasley flied out to Levi Kenley in right field. Kenley then rifled a throw to catcher Nick Hoffman to get Cowan at the plate to complete the double play.
Nations Ford’s only run came in the top of the sixth. Tim Kelso singled up the middle to lead off the inning, With one out, and after Kelso moved to second, Kenley reached on an error that scored Kelso.
Alex Stennet flied out and Tyler Causey grounded out to end the inning.
In other games Wednesday, Lexington defeated J.L. Mann 1-0, T.L. Hanna beat Belton-Honea Path 5-1. Dutch Fork won 8-1 over Dorman.
Blythewood takes on T.L. Hanna at 1:30 Thursday.
Nations Ford 000 001 0 – 1 2 4
Blythewood 110 020 x – 4 6 2
WP: Daniel Zippel. LP: Evan Lammers.
Hitters: Blythewood – Aidan Massey 2-3, Josh Cowan 2-3 Ben Lang-Spittler 2-4.
