A mere two weeks ago, the Warren County High School baseball team was flying high with a 5-0 record. Then, Sequatchie County ruined the celebration by upending the Pioneers 8-2 in the semifinals of the Grundy County tournament.
Warren County hadn’t forgotten about that game when the two teams took the field in Sequatchie County Friday. The Pioneers got payback in a big way, winning 8-4 for their ninth win of the season.
Warren County (9-5) is now one win away from tying last season’s total and the Pioneers had the opportunity yesterday at home against Upperman. Scores weren’t available at press time.
The Pioneers were coming off a tough loss to the Houston Mustangs when the team took the field Friday night.
Behind junior Kyle Rutledge, who pitched six innings to earn the victory, Warren County got back to its winning ways.
The Pioneers rolled off two runs in the opening inning and never trailed as coach Adam Childs’ small-ball tactics still seem to be working for Warren County.
Brett Mullican got the action started with a single and moved around to third with a pair of sacrifices.
Austin Green then came up and did what he does best, get base hits. On a 3-for-4 night that moved his average up to .483 for the season, Green scored Mullican with a single to put Warren County ahead 1-0.
Derek Brumley followed with a double to score Green and make it 2-0.
Rutledge let the home squad score once in the opening inning, but the Pioneers would roll off six straight runs before Sequatchie County scored again.
Green came around on a pair of errors to score in the third, then the Pioneers plated two more in the fourth to make it 5-1.
Lee Carden scored on a sacrifice bunt by Mullican and Nick Grandey stole home for the second time this season.
Mullican added an RBI single in the fifth and Collin Hutchins brought around another run when he reached on one of five Sequatchie County errors.
By the time Green reached in the sixth and scored on yet another error by the home team, Warren County had an 8-1 lead entering the last inning.
Rutledge tried to finish out for the Pioneers, but the junior let the first two batters on before giving way to Micah McColloch.
McColloch allowed the inherited runners to score, as well as another run, but battled out of the jam.
Green scored three times and added an RBI in his three-hit game. Mullican and Grandey finished with two hits apiece as the Pioneers racked up 10 hits total.
The Pioneers will be back in action tomorrow night when the team plays host to Cookeville at Patrick Ramsey Field.
Warren County hopes to improve its District 6-AAA record from an already impressive 2-0. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.