Stranding base runners ultimately came back to haunt the Warren County High School baseball team in the regional finals Wednesday night.
The Pioneers left eight runners on base against Walker Valley and when the Mustangs made their charge in the sixth inning, Warren County couldn’t overcome the deficit and lost 10-7.
The Pioneers had plenty of chances to put the game away, most notably in the third inning. Warren County had taken a 6-4 lead with six runs in the second inning and had the bases loaded with no outs in the third.
But two strikeouts and a groundout followed, crushing a would-be rally that could have put Walker Valley on the ropes.
Instead, Walker Valley cut the lead to one with a run in the fourth, then Logan Longwith’s three-run double in the sixth gave the Mustangs the lead for good.
Playing in the biggest game for Warren County baseball in over a decade, coach Adam Childs didn’t seem to think the pressure played a part in the Pioneer bats going silent in big situations.
“I don’t know if we had big-game jitters, or if we simply just didn’t get the hits when we needed to,” said Childs. “I think we have done a good job this year of coming through in big situations. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the big hits when we needed them Wednesday.”
When the game began, it looked like Walker Valley was going to cruise to a victory. Four doubles off starter Derek Brumley helped the Mustangs score four runs and build a big advantage.
The Pioneers came back quickly though.
Daulton Foster started a second-run rally with a double, then scored on an RBI single by Austin Green. Brett Mullican reached on an error and Alex Hillis had an infield single as the Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs.
Lee Carden delivered with a single into left field to score Green. Senior Nick Grandey followed by ripping a shot down the left-field line that brought around Mullican and Hillis and tied the game at four.
By the time Logan Underhill scored Carden with a groundout and Grandey tagged and scored on a sacrifice fly by Collin Hutchins, Warren County had taken a 6-4 lead.
Brumley settled down after the first inning as the senior struck out seven batters in the span of four innings to slow down the Mustangs.
The Pioneers had a golden opportunity to give their pitcher more run support in the third inning. Green was hit by a pitch to start the third and Mullican followed with a single. By the time Hillis drew a walk, Warren County had the bases loaded with no outs for the second straight inning.
But Carden and Grandey couldn’t come through again. Both batters struck out and Underhill grounded out to shortstop as Longwith battled out of a jam.
Longwith, who finished the game with three hits and four RBIs and earned the victory by pitching the final six innings, cut the lead to 6-5 with an RBI single in the fourth inning.
Neither team threatened to score in the fifth, but Brumley ran out of steam in the sixth and the Mustangs seized the momentum.
Three walks loaded the bases with one out as coach Childs had to take his starter out of the game. Childs turned to junior Kyle Rutledge to face Longwith.
Longwith only needed to see one pitch from the reliever to change the game. Longwith jumped on the first pitch from Rutledge, ripping a double into the left-field gap to clear the bases and put Walker Valley ahead 8-6.
Longwith would score later on a sacrifice fly, putting the Pioneers behind by three entering the bottom of the sixth, but Warren County wasn’t going to go down quietly.
Underhill began the sixth with a single and was joined on base by Hutchins, who walked. Garrison Holmes came up with his third hit, singling back up the middle to load the bases with no outs.
Once again though, the Pioneers couldn’t come up with a big hit.
Underhill scored on a passed ball as Foster struck out swinging, but pinch-hitter Austin Panter popped out and Mullican struck out as Warren County could only muster one run in the sixth.
Leading 9-7, Walker Valley added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to regain a three-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
The Pioneers went down in order in the seventh as Longwith picked up his ninth strikeout to end the game.
Though the Pioneers lost, coach Childs was pleased with how his team continued to fight.
“I was really happy with the way the boys competed,” said Childs. “We could have got down after they scored four in the first, but we fought back and held the lead for most of the game. You could tell how much the boys wanted to win.
“We have come a long way since the beginning of the season and we just came up a little short. Either way I am very proud of the way the boys fought until the end.”
The Pioneers will return to action tonight in the sectionals. Warren County travels to play Riverdale at 6 p.m.