Pioneers perfect at Classic: Win over Irish wraps up 4-0 weekend
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Warren County finished a perfect 4-0 to win its yearly round-robin event at Ramsey Field, including a 9-4 Saturday morning victory over former WCHS standout George Oleksik?s Notre Dame squad.
Senior Jordan Powers had a three-hit morning for the Pioneers, who improved to 9-8, and put his squad ahead early in Saturday?s win, belting a two-run homer to left-center in the bottom of the second. He finished with eight hits in the Pioneers four-game run through the Classic field.
The inning had started with Justin Bouldin connecting for a single, and coming around to score on a double from Nick Cantrell, who was aboard when Powers homered.
Notre Dame had taken the lead with an early run against WCHS starter Derrin Rogers, and added another run in the top of the third when Carson Corder singled home Tyler Cooper to trim the Pioneer lead to 3-2.
Jordan Underhill came through in the fourth, however, bringing in Cantrell with a sac fly to center field. Cantrell had reached on an error to start the frame.
Rogers got in a bit of a jam in the fifth, surrendering a run on three straight singles. Blake England was hit by a 2-2 pitch to reload the bases with two out, but Tom Mitchell grounded to third to retire the side with no further damage.
WCHS added a fifth-inning insurance run, when Bouldin doubled to left, scoring Jacob Bratcher, who had led off the frame with a single and stretched it to a double as the ball was retrieved from a soggy outfield.
Up 5-3, the Pioneers turned things over to reliever Tyler Gilley, who retired the Irish in order in the sixth, and padded their lead even further against reliever Drew Nelson in the bottom of the frame.
Powers led off the sixth with a double, and came around to score on a single to right from Josh Bratcher. Jordan Underhill singled, and with out Bratcher scored on a wild pitch to his brother Jacob.
Jacob and Bouldin drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, chasing Nelson from the mound in favor of Jeff Hannon. Kyle Mullican?s grounder off a Hannon offering retired Bouldin but scored Underhill, and when the throw got away at first Jacob Bratcher came in to put WCHS on top 9-3.
Pat Jones doubled off Coty Grissom to start the seventh, and scored on a grounder to third from Corder. But Grissom fanned Hannon to end the game, and cap off the perfect weekend for his Pioneers.
Rogers picked up the victory, working five innings and allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out three batters and hit one.
The loss went to Notre Dame?s Scott Wells, who was charged with the first five Pioneer runs while giving up eight hits during five innings of work.
WCHS travels to Coffee County on Monday, and will head to Cookeville for a District 7-AAA matchup Wednesday before playing host to the Cavaliers Thursday night.