Class of 2003 recognized: Baseball team falls in final district game
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The Warriors plated three runs in each of the first two innings, and got a solid pitching performance from Josh Markham, as they rained on Warren County’s Senior Night parade with an 8-0 victory.
“(Senior Night) is sometimes a coach’s nightmare,” head coach Jimmy Walker said after Monday’s game. “You hope they come out ready to play for it — sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.
“I’m proud for the seniors, I’m glad it’s their day, but it’s one of those situations where it’s over now and we have to get focussed for the tournament.”
The win gave Riverdale a chance to finish in a tie for the regular season District 7-AAA title, while Warren County’s No. 4 spot in the standings was unaffected. The Warriors finished their district campaign with a 10-2 record, and improved to 31-4 overall. Warren County dropped to 13-19 on the year, and finished 5-7 in the district standings.
Markham went the distance in picking up the win, allowing just two Pioneer hits while fanning eight, including six of seven WCHS batters at one point in the game.
The Warrior hurler benefited from some early offensive fireworks from his Warrior teammates, starting with an RBI double from Justin Humphrey with one out in the first that chased Warren County starter Thomas Mullins from the mound. Clint Alexander then came home on a Justin Jones single, and Jason Lenard brought home Humphrey with a sacrifice fly.
The hits just kept on coming in the top of the second, as Alex Watson made it a 6-0 ballgame with a two-out, three-run homer to right. Humphrey struck again in the top of the fourth, belting a two-run shot to deep left to plate himself and Alexander with the Warriors’ final runs of the night.
Will Underland went 3-for-3 from the No. 8 spot in the Warrior order, while Alexander was 3-for-5. Humphrey finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, and Wayne Kendrick also had two hits.
Joey Haston’s second-inning single and a leadoff double by Glenn Rogers in the fourth accounted for the Pioneers’ only two hits.
Monday’s lopsided final was a stark contrast from Sunday afternoon’s game in Murfreesboro, which saw the Pioneers make a strong showing only to fall 2-0.
Jared Qualls got the start for WCHS, allowing just six hits. Both Warrior runs were unearned.
“It was a great effort by everybody, especially Jared,” Walker said. “He’s kind of had to mop up all year, and we gave him the chance Sunday and he seized the opportunity.”
Matt Brown, Joshua Bratcher and John Morrison had a hit apiece in Sunday’s loss.