Make it two straight home wins for Warren County baseball.
Hosting Cumberland County Thursday evening, the Pioneers halted a late push by the Jets to pick up a 6-4 victory in front of the home crowd at Patrick Ramsey Field.
“I told them the other night after the (Tuesday Coffee County) game, coming into this one, you’d like to be able to re-channel the same type of energy. It’s difficult. It’s a whole lot easier said than done when you’re playing somebody that’s not a big, huge rival,” Warren County coach Phillip King said. “Cumberland County’s a much-improved team from the last couple years when we’ve played them. I thought (pitcher Brady Swallows) gave us a chance to win. We didn’t have as many great at-bats as we’d had the night before, but we found a way.”
Cumberland County got on the board first with a single run in the top of the second, but Warren County quickly responded in the bottom of the inning.
With one out to go, Hayven Jones trotted in from third on a balk to make it a 1-1 game. On the same at-bat, Adrian Harris knocked a ground ball out to second, but the Jets’ fielding issues continued as an error at first base allowed Evan Snapp to reach home plate for the go-ahead run.
Warren County expanded its lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jones got it started once again, this time running from third on a wild pitch. On the next at-bat, Tyler Adams sent a fly ball out to center field for a double, bringing Sam Robinson to the plate. Robinson proceeded to hit a line drive to left field for a double of his own, sending Adams in for the score.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Cumberland County found new life in the top of the sixth with three runs to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the inning, Adams came to the plate with runners on the corners. With Snapp at third for the go-ahead run, Adams hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to bring Snapp home and put the Pioneers back ahead.
Up next was Robinson, who drove in Adrian Harris on a ground ball single to give Warren County a two-run lead and ultimately seal the win.
Warren County posted eight hits over the course of the game, led by Robinson with three. Jones followed with two. Adams, Harris and Woogs Bryan added one hit each.
Robinson further notched two of the team’s three RBI, with one for Adams as well.
On the mound, Swallows went 5.1 innings and came off with seven strikeouts, three hits, four runs and five walks. Keaton Rowe came on for the final 1.2 innings, adding three strikeouts, one hit and two walks on the way to the win.
“We lost the first game (Monday night) against Coffee. We thought we should beat them, you know? We came back, we felt gritty,” Robinson said of Warren County winning its last two games. “We came back, we played a good game and got good hits in good situations.”
