NASHVILLE, Ark. – The Warren baseball squad fell behind early and couldn’t complete a comeback attempt in a 9-8 loss to Monticello Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the 4A South Regional Tournament being held at Wilson Park in Nashville, Ark.
Dennen Cuthbertson
Saline River Chronicle Sports Contributor
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The Lumberjacks fall to 15-7 overall, while Monticello improves to 13-9 and advances to the 4A South Regional Championship to face Magnolia, the second seed from the 4A-7. Warren will place in the third-place game versus Crossett to determine seeding for the state tournament that begins Thursday, May 9 in Gravette, Ark.
The Billies opened the scoring in the contest with an unearned run in the top of the first and stretched the lead to 3-0 on a balk and RBI groundout in the second frame. The Jacks cut into the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Tucker McDiarmid and RBI groundout from Ervin Rivera.
Monticello kept the pressure on though with a three-run top of the third to extend its lead to 6-2. However, the Orange and Black fought back with a run-scoring double by Kolby Pope followed by an RBI single from Rivera to claw within 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth. A couple of errors plagued the Jacks again in the top of the fifth and the Billies scored twice to move ahead 8-4.
Warren put together a big bottom of the fifth though to get within one run at 8-7 with a two-out rally. The first two batters reached on walks and then the bases were loaded with two outs after a hit-by-pitch. McDiarmid drew a bases-loaded walk to plate one run ahead of Pope’s two-run single. Rivera walked to load the bases again, but a strikeout ended the threat.
The Billies tacked on, what would prove to be, a very important insurance run in the top of the sixth. Warren would go into the bottom of the seventh down 9-7, but AJ Jordan tripled to begin the frame and Jude Cathey singled him home to make the score 9-8. The next two hitters flew out ahead of a Rivera single to move the tying-run into scoring position. However, a strikeout ended the threat and clinched the 9-8 win for Monticello.
Rivera went the distance on the mound for the Jacks and allowed nine runs, but only three were earned due to seven errors. The senior struck out three and didn’t issue a walk.
The Lumberjacks outhit Monticello 9-6 with Cathey going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Pope drove in three runs on two hits while Rivera drove in a pair on two hits. McDiarmid recorded two RBIs while Pope (double) and Jordan (triple) registered the only extra-base hits for the team.
Warren will face Crossett Saturday at noon in the third-place matchup to determine the third and fourth seeds out of the region for the 4A State Tournament.
