LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (3/27/25) – The Warren High School baseball team bounced back to defeat Searcy 4-2 after falling to Genoa Central by a score of 8-6 in the first day of the Robinson Invitational at Pulaski Academy’s Bruin Field in Little Rock.
By Dennen Cuthbertson, SRN Baseball Contributor
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The Lumberjacks are now 8-3 on the season after Thursday’s results in the Robinson Invitational, which features 77 teams across three days of action. Games are being played at seven different locations in Central Arkansas.
Warren’s Kolby Pope took the bump in the game against Searcy (5-4) and tossed six innings to lead the team to the win. The senior right-hander allowed two unearned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts against two walks. Nathan Spears recorded the save by pitching a scoreless seventh inning with a strikeout.
The Jacks struck first with Antonio Jordan scoring in the opening frame, but the Lions responded with a run on a Warren error in the third to tie the score. The game remained tied until the top of the fifth when Hayden Cathey singled home a run with two outs to put the Orange and Black ahead 2-1. Nathan Spears extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-run double.
Searcy was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the fifth to get within two runs. The Lions had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third, but a groundout sealed the 4-2 win for the Jacks.
Offensively, Hayden Cathey led the squad with two hits, while Nathan Spears drove home three of the four runs scored in the victory.
In the first game of the evening, Warren built a 6-3 lead after four innings over Genoa Central (8-4). Pope scored the first run in the bottom of the opening frame before a three-run second inning. Jordan swatted a run-scoring base hit to bring home Jude Cathey for a 2-0 edge, then two straight sacrifice flies by Pope and Hayden Cathey pushed the tally to 4-0.
Ren Reep smacked a run-scoring double to give the Orange and Black a 5-0 advantage, but the Dragons plated three runs in the top of the fourth to claw within 5-3. However, the Jacks were able to get one run back in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nathan Spears.
Genoa Central scored one run in the sixth, but trailed 6-4 entering the seventh inning. The Lumberjacks retired the first batter of the inning, but seven consecutive Dragons reached base with four hits and three walks. A two-run double tied the game followed by a go-ahead single. A bases-loaded walk scored another run to make the score 8-6. Warren was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the 8-6 victory for Genoa Central.
Parker O’Neal tossed the first four innings of the game for the Jacks. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with five punchouts against three walks. Reep tossed a scoreless inning, while Ryan Spears and Nathan Spears combined to get the final six outs.
Offensively, all nine players for Warren tallied a hit, with Ryan Spears recording the only multi-hit effort of the game. Nathan Spears drove home two runs, while Jordan, Pope, Hayden Cathey, and Reep picked up one RBI apiece. Pope led the team with two runs scored.
The Lumberjacks are scheduled to conclude action in the Robinson Invitational on Friday night against Batesville. First pitch from Bruin Field is set for 8:15 p.m.
