The baseball game Tuesday at Warren County Middle School between the Pioneers and Coffee County came down to the final inning.
With the teams tied 3-3 entering the seventh, the Red Raiders were able to break the tie in the top of the inning and retire the Pioneers with the trying run on second in the bottom of the seventh to win 4-3.
Warren County (2-1) had rallied back to knot the score in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single by Ethan Smith to score Cole Estes, but Coffee County had a quick response.
The Red Raiders’ lead-off batter drew a walk to start the seventh from Tyler Prater and would come around to score on a series of fielder’s choices to put the visitors back ahead 4-3. The Warren County defense kept the deficit at one by nailing two runners at the plate in the top of the seventh.
Trayton Rackley gave the Pioneers hope of a late comeback when he doubled with one out in the top of the seventh, but the rally quickly was extinguished when Crockett Walker flew out to right field and Brooks Helton ended the game with a groundout to the pitcher.
Warren County was the first on the board when the Pioneers scored in the second inning. Walker and Helton started the inning with back-to-back singles before being joined on the base paths by Estes on a bunt single.
With the bases juiced, Smith brought in Walker with a two-out shot to the hot corner that was too hot to handle for the Coffee County third baseman.
The Pioneers added a run in the fourth when Prater drove in Hunter Adams on a sacrifice fly.
Warren County would lead until the fifth inning when Coffee County jumped ahead with one swing. The Red Raiders’ clean-up hitter gave his team a 3-2 advantage when he hit a towering shot that cleared the fence. It was one of only five hits Prater would surrender as he went all seven innings and struck out four – including fanning two straight batters in the top of the fourth with runners on second and third.
Smith led the Pioneers with two hits and two RBIs. Estes, Helton, Walker and Rackley had one hit each.
Warren County was back in action Thursday on the road at Coffee County. The score was unavailable at press time. The Pioneers will be back at home Friday for a 5 p.m. home game against Cookeville.