DE QUEEN, Ark. (5/10/25) – The Warren High School baseball squad entered the bottom of the seventh down 6-5 to Nashville, but three straight two-out hits, capped by AJ Jordan’s walk-off single, lifted the Jacks to a gritty 7-6 win over the Scrappers in the third-place game of the 4A-4 Regional Tournament Saturday afternoon in De Queen.
By Dennen Cuthbertson, SRN Baseball Contributor
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The win moves the overall record for the Lumberjacks to 18-7 and clinches the third seed from the 4A-4 Region in next week’s 4A State Tournament in Monticello. Nashville falls to 17-11 with the loss and will be the fourth seed from the region in the state tournament.
The Jacks entered the seventh inning with a 5-3 lead, but three walks, two singles, and a hit-by-pitch allowed the Scrappers to score three runs to take a 6-5 edge. The first two hitters of the bottom half for Warren were retired, but Tucker McDiarmid lined a single just out of the reach of the left fielder to begin the two-out rally. Freshman Aceen Jurado stepped up to the plate and laced a double to the gap to score McDiarmid and tie the game. A wild pitch moved Jurado to third base to set up Jordan’s heroics. The senior center fielder fell behind in the count 1-2, but hit a groundball in the hole between short and third and easily beat the shortstop’s throw to drive in Jurado for the walk-off hit.
The Spears brothers from Warren delivered gutsy performances on the mound. Senior Nathan Spears started and went 4 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on two hits and two strikeouts and eight walks. Freshman Ryan Spears relieved him and tossed 2 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with four walks and no punchouts. Both pitchers were able to limit the damage with soft contact and a defense that only committed one error.
The Lumberjacks outhit the Scrappers 8-5 with McDiarmid and Jurado each with two hits to lead the team. Jurado also led the team with two RBIs and scored two runs. Jordan was 1-for-3 with the game-winning RBI, two runs scored, and walked twice while Jude Cathey tallied the team’s other RBI.
In the bottom of the first Jordan and Kolby Pope walked and were moved up a base on a groundout by Bryson Harris. Jordan scored on a wild pitch to put Warren in front 1-0, but Pope was left stranded.
The Jacks appeared poised for a big inning in the second when Cathey struck out but reached first base on a wild pitch with one out followed by an infield hit from McDiarmid with an error on the throw moving each runner up a base. Jurado singled to right to drive in one run for a 2-0 edge before Jordan walked to load the bases with one out. However, a fly out to right field and baserunning miscue saw Jordan doubled off first base to end the threat.
Nashville found its way onto the scoreboard in the top of the third with two sacrifice flies to knot things up at 2-2. The Lumberjacks quickly regained the lead 3-2 in the bottom half on Cathey’s infield RBI single. The Orange and Black added to the advantage when a pair of errors opened the bottom of the fourth allowing one run to score to put the game at 4-2. A balk later in the inning moved the score to 5-2.
After Nathan Spears walked two batters around a fly out to right field in the top of the fifth, Ryan Spears replaced him. The Scrappers scored one on a RBI single to pull within 5-3. After a scoreless sixth inning, a fly out to left began the top of the seventh. However, a hit-by-pitch, walk, and RBI single cut the Warren lead to 5-4. Another walk loaded the bases before a fly out to left field. Nashville tied the game on a single and took the lead on a bases-loaded walk 6-5. A groundout to Harris at first base kept it a one-run game to set up the dramatics of the bottom of the frame.
Warren will play the runner-up of the 4A-1 Regional Championship between Shiloh Christian and Gravette to open the 4A State Tournament on Thursday, May 15. According to the bracket available online the Lumberjacks will play at 12:30 p.m. in Monticello at either Monticello High School or UAM’s baseball field.
