WARREN, Ark. – The Warren Lumberjacks baseball team scored three runs over the final two innings to earn a hard-fought 3-2 walk-off win over Hot Springs in non-conference action Monday evening at the Warren Sports Complex.
The Lumberjacks trailed the Trojans 2-0 as the game moved into the bottom of the sixth inning. Delfino Rivera reached base with a one-out walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Hot Springs opted to intentionally walk Landon Wolfe, who had tripled earlier in the contest, to face sophomore Bryson Harris. This proved to be an unwise decision as Harris, despite falling behind 0-2, smoked a double over the center fielder’s head to plate both runners.
Top photo: Delfino Rivera hit an infield single to drive in the winning run for Warren Monday vs. Hot Springs. Photo by Saline River Chronicle.
By Dennen Cuthbertson
Saline River Chronicle Contributor
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The score remained tied 2-2 after Kolby Pope tossed a scoreless top of the seventh. In the bottom of the frame Pope found himself at second base after reaching on a fielder’s choice and passed ball. Hot Springs elected to intentionally walk Maddox Lassiter with two outs to face Delfino Rivera. The senior first baseman hit a ground ball in the hole for an infield hit, but the Trojans’ shortstop made an errant throw to first base that allowed Pope to trot home for the game-winning run.
The win moves Warren above .500 for the first time this season at 4-3, while Hot Springs fell to 3-7. Pope earned the win on the mound for the Jacks with his scoreless top of the seventh. Lumberjack pitchers only allowed one infield hit in the game while the home team notched four hits.
The Trojans managed to score a run in the second inning off the aforementioned infield hit with two outs for a 1-0 edge. The visitors added to that lead with a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to move ahead 2-0 before the Orange and Black’s late-inning heroics.
Ren Reep started the game on the bump for Warren and twirled a gem during his four innings of work. The freshman hurler only allowed one run on one infield hit and struck out nine with no walks. He made a nice defensive play on a swinging bunt leading off the third inning and also had a putout covering the bag on a ground ball to first base. For his efforts he was named the Greg Harton Shelter Insurance Player of the Game.
Layton Wolfe pitched the fifth inning and allowed one run, while Ervin Rivera pitched around two errors to record a shutout sixth inning before Pope threw the seventh. Harris, Wolfe, Delfino Rivera, and Nathan Spears had one hit apiece for the Jacks. Harris registered the only two RBIs for Warren with his double in the sixth.
Warren was happy to get this game in to knock off some rust after getting rained out of its Spring Break Tournament appearance last Friday. The Lumberjacks hit the road for a 4A-8 Conference Tuesday evening at Hamburg. First pitch tomorrow against the Lions is scheduled for 5 p.m.
