Local all-stars earn spot in tourney final
Warren County’s 13-year-old Babe Ruth all-stars won their way into the championship game of their district tournament Friday night, downing Sparta 15-4 in a mercy rule-shortened second-round matchup at Edley Newman Field.
The local team topped Cookeville in their first-round game Thursday, and defeated Sparta in Friday’s semifinals to earn a spot in Saturday afternoon’s championship game. Should they lose that game, a second game to decide the title was set to be played today.
Brett Mullican pitched his team to victory on Friday night, scattering four hits and two walks over five innings while allowing three runs. He struck out four batters before giving way to Nick Grandey, who pitched a one-run sixth.
At the plate, Aaron Taylor and J.T. Morgan came through with a pair of RBI hits apiece, and Justin Ware got the home club off to a strong start with a two-run double in the first. His hit gave Warren County a 3-0 lead, coming two batters after Jordan Dennis had put the club on the board by driving home Grandey with a grounder to short which was thrown wide of first base.
Up 3-0 after an inning, Warren County went down in order in the second, and saw their lead disappear as Sparta put together a three-run frame of its own featuring RBIs by Tyler Rice, Tyler Nesbit and Jordan Armstrong.
Grandey led off the third and scored on a wild pitch, giving Warren back the lead, and the local squad extended its advantage with a five-run fourth which featured RBI doubles by Morgan and Zack Rubley, as well as a triple by Aaron Taylor.
The hits kept coming in the fifth, with Mullican, Morgan and Logan McCormack all crossing the plate, and in the top of the sixth Rubley, Grandey and Dennis all came home to put the team ahead by the 10-run margin it needed to call it an early night.
‘ On Thursday, Warren County went the distance with Cookeville, edging their longtime rivals in a three-hour marathon, 12-11.
Ware picked up the win, allowing seven runs (five earned) on four hits, three walks and two hit batsmen over four innings. He fanned four batters. Dennis pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief, giving up four more runs, and Mullican came on in with one out in the seventh to nail down the save.
Warren County went up 2-1 in the first, but fell behind 5-2 after two innings before blasting back ahead with six in the third. The big inning included a two-run double from Logan Walker, and saw Warren send all nine batters to the plate, chasing Cookeville starter Nathan Strong and reliever Seth Farris from the mound. Strong took the loss for the Cookeville club, which was set to face Overton County in an elimination game Friday night.
Back on top 8-5, Warren County surrendered another run in the bottom of the third, but answered with three in the fourth, the final run coming on a Taylor double to left. Cookeville countered with a single run in the bottom of the frame, and pulled within three at 11-8 with a run in the fifth.
But Warren County picked up its final run in the top of the sixth, when Taylor grounded out to drive home Grandey, and despite giving up three more in the bottom of the frame, they got out of the inning when Dennis fanned Strong with two men aboard. Dennis and Mullican completed the seventh without any further damage, with Mullican coaxing a grounder out of the Cookeville No. 5 hitter with two men on for the final out.
Taylor finished with a pair of RBIs for Warren County, as did Walker. Mullican drove in another run, while Dennis, Taylor and Grandey scored two apiece. Rubley drew three walks from the leadoff spot, scoring three runs.
A full report on Saturday’s finals will be featured in Wednesday’s edition. Win or lose, however, the local club has earned a trip to next week’s regional tournament.