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Going, going ... GONE
HRs powering WCHS squads
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Easton Denning watches his solo shot sail over the centerfield fence in Monday's win over Shelbyville. The Pioneers have hit four homers in their first five games after hitting just one in 34 games last season.
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Easton Denning salutes his teammates while rounding the bases after his solo homer Monday. - photo by Jeffery Simmons

Be wary of parking in the outfield at Warren County games. The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers don’t lack for power this season.

Both Warren County squads are swinging big bats this year, with homers flying out over the weekend when the groups went to Murfreesboro for games. Aiden Miller and Tyler ‘T-Bone’ Adams each hit dingers for the Pioneers in a win over Blackman, while Kora Forbes had a big fly for the Lady Pioneers.

Miller and Adams sent balls sailing in an 18-12 slugfest against the Blaze. Miller, a junior who broke into the lineup last year for his ability to rake at the plate, broke the game open in the sixth, smashing a 3-2 pitch with the bases juiced. The grand slam doubled as Miller’s first homer as a Pioneer.

The junior is now hitting .294 through five games and is second on the Pioneers with nine RBIs, six coming in Saturday’s win.

Adams was just as hot at the plate against the Blaze. He helped Warren County get off to a hot start, connecting on a three-run homer with two outs in the second inning that made it 7-0 early. It was also Adams’ first homer for Warren County.

Added to Hayden Collins’ homer against and Easton Denning sending a solo shot sailing Monday against Shelbyville, the Pioneers now have four homers in their first five games. Warren County only hit one homer in 34 games last season (Layne Roberts went deep against White County), but the power surge has been noticeable from these Pioneers in practice and in games.

“We have some dudes in our lineup that, if they square it up, can hit it well. Some of our rounds of BP have been fun to watch,” said coach Phillip King. “They have bought in to what we are trying to teach at the plate. We have to be more aggressive early in counts on fastballs, but I like how our guys are swinging it.”

Round trippers have always been something the Lady Pioneers can count on during the Gooby Martin era. Warren County has been cycling power hitters through the lineup for years, starting with Neva Tackett and Skylar Youngblood to the school’s home run queen Ashton Whiles and last year’s slugger Madison Hollis.

Current Lady Pioneers are trying to keep up the trend, with Forbes being the latest to have a big blast. The senior got her first trot around the bases this season on a three-run homer against Oakland Saturday. It was the second homer for Forbes in her career, though it did come in a 9-4 loss to the Lady Patriots.

Freshman Lola Wells showed she may be the next great power hitter for the Lady Pioneers Saturday. Wells had a big fly in a JV game, showing plenty of power at a young age. Alyssa Mosley and Jaz Ward also had homers in preseason work.

It won’t be long before the Lady Pioneers and Pioneers are sending out more souvenirs over the fence. Both teams have busy schedules coming up, with the baseball team set to host Huntland Thursday and the Lady Pioneers set to play six games in the Southern Warrior Classic starting Thursday.