By DAN BISER

Corey Blackwell carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Friday night as Whiteville Post 137 wound up with a 9-2 victory over Spring Lake in an Area 2-West League American Legion baseball game at Legion Stadium.

Blackwell, who pitched this past spring at Louisburg College, yielded three hits for the night in pitching the complete-game victory. He struck out seven, walked two and held Spring Lake scoreless over the final eight innings. Spring Lake opened the game’s scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the first inning.

Whiteville, which took advantage of 11 walks, got two his each by Ryan McCleney and Charlie Gore. Lloyd Enzor powered a double and Dustin Proctor, John David White and Jordan McPherson had one hit each.

Coach Brett Harwood’s Whiteville squad tallied three runs in the third inning, four in the fourth and two in the fifth as it claimed its second straight victory.

“It was a good effort by everybody,” Coach Harwood said. “Right now, we’re just doing all we can to stay alive for a playoff spot. We pretty much have to win out to make it.”

On Sunday, Whiteville picked up a pair of forfeit victories after Union Pines forfeited both games of a scheduled Area 2-West doubleheader. The wins put Whiteville’s league record at 6-6 and season mark at 9-9.

Whiteville is still battling to get a league playoff berth as it goes into its final two regular-season games.

Post 137 is scheduled to play host to Stedman tonight at 7 and it will entertain Scotland County on Thursday night at 7.

(See game report of Thursday night’s Post 137-Fayetteville Post 4 on Page 2B of our printed edition.)

Devault, McLeod (4) and Scott; Blackwell and Proctor, Miller (7).