Due to inclement weather, the Warren County Pioneer baseball team held opening day at home on Patrick Ramsey Field on Tuesday as they played host to district rival White County’s Warriors.
While the rain had dissipated, the cold temperatures did not as it was a brisk 30 degrees on the field. The Warriors came out to play with a three-run homer by Warrior Jason Maxwell, who hit a high fly ball over the left-field fence at the 345-foot marker, driving in two base runners for an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Those were the only runs White County would get however, as the Pioneers caught fire in the second and fifth innings scoring 6 and 7 runs, respectively, to send the Warriors home early, 13-3.
“I was really proud of how we came back from the early deficit,” said Warren County coach Adam Childs. “It was tough conditions but I think we did a good job battling through it. We had a good defense and the bats really came alive. It was good to start the season out with a district win.”
Shaking off the big hit by White County in the first, Pioneer pitcher Noah Fann, with the help of the Pioneer defense, held the Warriors to their first-inning score for the rest of the ballgame. Fann would pitch all five innings for the win with 106 pitches allowing 5 hits and 3 runs while striking out 4 batters and walking none.
White County switched pitchers three times, but couldn’t get away from serving up pitches the Pioneers could rip.
Second-inning scoring for the Pioneers started when Warren County’s Nick Williamson got hold of one to center field giving him a double and driving in two runs. Cole Estes singled driving in another run as the Warriors made their first pitching switch.
Lucas Rogers didn’t seem to mind as he singled off new White County pitcher Maverick Jennings driving in two more runs followed by Brooks Helton who drove in 1 run before the Pioneers took their third out, leading 6-3 after two.
A lull in the third and fourth innings, as neither team could get anything going, led to a big rally by the Pioneers in the bottom of the fifth as they scored 7 runs off a single by Estes and Colby Elkins, a walk by Rogers, a Helton double and single by Isaac Golden.
Thwarting the cold by heating up their bats, the Pioneers garnered 13 hits. Wesley Jennings had top honors with 3 hits on 3 at-bats. Estes, Colby Elkins, Helton and Williamson all had 2 hits, and Rogers and Golden had 1 hit apiece.