Predicting how a Warren County District 6-AAA baseball game is going to finish is easy. Every contest seems to come down to one run.
For the third time in five district games, the Pioneers played a close contest at Patrick Ramsey Field. After losing its previous two one-run games, Warren County got back in the win column by rallying to beat the White County Warriors 6-5.
Warren County (9-5) lost to the Warriors 4-2 in the preseason District 6-AAA tournament March 23, a game the Pioneers led 2-1 entering the final inning. The Pioneers also lost 4-3 to Cumberland County in the district tournament, but beat Coffee County 3-2.
The loss to the Warriors sent Warren County into a downward spiral where it dropped four of five games, but the Pioneers have bounced back in a big way.
Lee Carden’s walk-off hit Saturday to beat Greenwood 6-5 got Warren County back in the win column. More hitting from Carden, along with a stellar outing from Ryan Jennings on the mound, gave the Pioneers their second straight victory.
Carden finished 3-for-3 against the Warriors, including hitting a game-tying, two-run double in the fifth inning. Carden also came around to score the game-winning run, one that Jennings assured would stand up by completing his second complete game this season.
Jennings went the distance against White County, improving to 3-0 this season. Aside from a shaky third inning that saw the Warriors score all of their runs, the junior lefty held White County in check.
White County took a commanding lead in the third inning after the teams played two scoreless innings. Jennings surrendered five hits, including back-to-back RBI doubles in the middle of the inning, that led to five runs for the Warriors in the top of the third.
Instead of panicking, Warren County immediately went into attack mode when the team got to the plate in the bottom of the third.
The Pioneers quickly sliced into the Warrior lead, getting contributions from two returning starters that sparked a rally. Third baseman Jon Reed and right fielder Daulton Foster each returned to the field Monday after sustaining early-season injuries and they were the first two batters on the third inning.
Reed got his first hit of the season with a single up the middle to start the third. Foster was then hit by a pitch, putting two on with no outs. Logan Underhill followed with a single that loaded the bases for Park Hilliard.
Hilliard brought the team’s first run in with an RBI groundout, then Alex Hillis made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly. Carden cut the lead to two going into the fourth with an RBI triple to center field.
Jennings settled down after the third inning and allowed only two hits in the final four innings. His solid pitching was backed up with another big inning for the Pioneers in the fifth.
Hilliard and Hillis each reached base following free passes, setting the table for Carden to shine at the plate once again. The junior, who started at catcher for the second time this season, delivered a double that tied the game at 5-5. After two outs, senior Kyle Rutledge put the Pioneers ahead for good with a single to score Carden from second.
The Pioneers closed the game with a big time defensive play. After an error gave White County a runner on second with one out, Warren County turned a rare 6-3-5 double play.
Adam Farley, who had the game-winning hit when White County rallied to beat Warren County in the tournament, grounded to Underhill at shortstop. Underhill looked Michael Sain back to second, then fired to first. Sain took off for third as Chayse Frye caught the ball at first for an out.
Frye quickly threw back across the infield, where Reed awaited the ball at third base. Reed swiped the tag on Sain, who was called out much to the displeasure of the White County coaching staff.
The game-ending double play improved Warren County to 2-3 in district play going into last night’s game at White County. The contest wasn’t completed by press time.
Warren County steps out of district play Thursday for a game against Park Tudor, Ill. The two teams met in McMinnville last year, but this year’s game will be held at Shelby Park in Nashville. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m.