The Warren Central baseball team continues to show it can compete with any team in the state.

Warren Central bested Madison Central 5-2 Saturday afternoon thanks to an offensive-dominant fifth inning.

“It’s a big win. It’s a playoff type game for us against one of the better teams of the state and a team that we’re probably going to have to see in the playoffs at some point if we make a run,” Warren Central coach Conner Douglas said. “It’s a big confidence builder for our guys and we continue to see we can play with anybody when we play good baseball”

Both teams went into that inning tied at a run apiece. Warren Central’s Logan Stewart scored the first of the Vikings’ three runs in the third on a passed ball.

Brooks Boolos then singled to right field running in DJ Lewis from third to take a 3-1 lead against the Jaguars. Boolos would score the Vikings’ final run of the inning from Conner Wilkinson’s ground ball double.

“We strung a couple of hits together, put some pressure on the defense and hooked out a couple of big hits,” Douglas said.

Colton Norris scored the Vikings final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Norris hit a ground ball double to the short stop, rounded third and took home plate after Stewart’s single to right field.

Madison Central held the Vikings scoreless through the first three innings after Will Brooks scored the first run of the game in the top of the third. Brooks doubled to left field to begin the inning and advanced to third base on Kirkland Trahan’s single to left field before finding home plate.

Brooks also hit an outside-the-park homer to begin the seventh inning, giving the Jaguars their final run of the game.

In addition to scoring both of Madison Central’s runs, Brooks went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.

“They swing it really well, play good defense, they have good pitching. That’s probably the best hitting team we’ve seen all year. They swung it really well against our best arm. They’re a great ball club and they’ll make a run. They’re very well coached and do little things right,” Douglas said.

While the Vikings scored more runs than Madison Central, the Jaguars walked away with 12 hits for the games to Warren Central’s five. Trahan, Trace Tyre and Khristian Washington lead the game with two hits each.

Madison Central also recorded four errors.

In six complete innings, Warren Central’s Taft Nesmith pitched six strikeouts with 16 first pitch strikes.

“Our guys continue to overcome little things. We got down early but it don’t phase them. They keep grinding,” Douglas said. “We tied it up and then we come in and start answering the bell, moving a few guys over. Nothing bothers them; they’ve faced adversity in the face a lot and do really well. I’m proud of our guys.”

 

Pearl 10, VHS 0

Pearl quickly jumped to a 3-0 run at the end of the first inning against Vicksburg. The first two runs scored were unearned as Tylan Knight and Dylan Kelly ran home on a wild pitch and passed balls respectively.

A sacrifice fly from Jake Smithhart ran home Jeremy Johnson to end the first inning.

With the exception of the third inning, the Pirates scored at least one run in each inning played.

Vicksburg was down only four runs heading into the fourth inning, but Pearl continued to showcase it’s offensive dominance. It posted a four-run inning, which increased its lead to 8-0.

Despite the shutout loss for the Gators, Marshall Banks arose with positivity for his team. In 4.1 innings Banks recorded 16 first pitch strikes with strikeouts. He came away with the only hit for the Gators going 1-for-2 at the plate.