Warren Central winds up on the wrong end of another walk-off

Published 10:26 pm Monday, April 1, 2024

RAYMOND — Warren Central is playing a lot of exciting baseball games lately. It just isn’t too excited with the outcomes.

The Vikings tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh inning, but St. Andrew’s scored the winning run on an error in the bottom half and stole an 8-7 victory Monday in a game played at Hinds Community College.

It was the third time in four games that Warren Central (7-9) has been involved in a walk-off situation. It split two extra-inning games with Neshoba Central last week before losing to St. Andrew’s on the final play to start this one.

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Mixed in with those games was a 14-0 romp over Raymond on March 30.

Monday’s game was a wild, back-and-forth affair all the way through. St. Andrew’s (15-5) twice erased two-run deficits and led 7-4 after five innings, and then Warren Central scored twice in the sixth inning and once in the seventh to tie it at 7.

Maddox Lynch and Trace Hood each hit an RBI single in the sixth, and Connor Watkins had an RBI double in the top of the seventh.

St. Andrew’s Callan Baldwin was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, and John William Walker hit into a fielder’s choice. Rolen Fanning then hit a ground ball that was booted for an error, and Walker circled the bases for the winning run.

Fanning finished 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs scored for St. Andrew’s. The Saints also hit three home runs — one each by Cash Myrick, Walker Van Meter and Justin Word.

Lynch also homered for Warren Central, a two-run shot in the first inning, doubled, and was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. In his last three games, Lynch is 6-for-10 with a homer, five doubles, six RBIs and five runs scored.

Watkins also went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored, and Cade Fairley and Lester Martin both doubled.

Warren Central will be back in action with back-to-back games next weekend. It’ll host Manchester Academy Friday at 7 p.m., and then is at Northwest Rankin Saturday at 2 p.m.