The losing streak ended at four games for the WCHS baseball team Monday night at home as the Pioneers defeated the White County Warriors, 9-4.
The game was back-and-forth the whole way until the Pioneers scored five runs in the final two innings to pull away from the visiting Warriors.
Taisei Yasunaga and Colby Elkins led the charge for the Pioneers. Yasunaga went 3-for-4 with three singles and four runs scored. Elkins went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI.
Cameron Shaw had an impressive outing on the mound for the Pioneers, going the distance while allowing four runs and striking out three.
The Warriors scored a run in the top of the first to have the early advantage, 1-0. The Pioneers answered in the bottom of the inning thanks to an Elkins 2 RBI double to centerfield, scoring Yasunaga and Cole Estes, and the Pioneers led, 2-1.
The Warriors added another run in the top of the second to tie things up, 2-2. The score remained tied, until the bottom of the third when the Pioneers took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Elkins and a Will Lupo sacrifice hit, scoring two, 4-2, after three.
The Warriors didn’t go away, scoring one run in the fourth and the fifth, to tie the game for the third time, 4-4.
The Pioneers took the lead for good, with a three-run, bottom of the inning, thanks to a Lupo 2-RBI single to right field, followed by a Brooks Helton RBI single. The Pioneers added two more runs in the sixth after the visiting Warriors failed to cut into the lead.
Shaw finished his strong performance on the mound, shutting down the Warriors in the top of the seventh to preserve the win, 9-4.
The Pioneers looked to build on their momentum when they traveled to Sparta to take on these same Warriors in game three between the two teams Tuesday night. Results weren’t available at press time.