WARREN, Ark. (4/16/26) – The Warren High School baseball team fell behind 3-0 early, but scored nine combined runs in the second and third innings en route to an important 13-6 conference victory over Star City in an intense game Thursday evening at the Warren City Complex.
By Dennen Cuthbertson
Saline River News Baseball Contributor
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The Lumberjacks take a temporary half-game lead for first place in the 4A-8 standings with the victory to improve to 5-2 as the other teams in the conference will be in action on Friday. Warren’s overall record is now 8-7. The Bulldogs fall to 7-11-2 overall on the season and 2-5 in league play.
Both teams had traffic in the first inning, but couldn’t push a run across. Star City began the scoring in the second inning with back-to-back home runs, beginning with a two-run shot, for a 3-0 advantage. The Orange and Black struck back in the bottom half with a run on an error before a bases-clearing double by Jackson Denton plated three for a 4-3 edge.
Warren kept the pressure on in the third frame with back-to-back RBI singles by Chris Barnes and Aceen Jurado with a third run scoring on a wild pitch to push the score to 7-3. Ren Reep plated another with a two-out, run-scoring base knock and was followed by an RBI double by Denton to set the score at 9-3 after three.
The Bulldogs scored an unearned run in the fourth to get within 9-4, but Warren immediately got it back with a run by Ty Hembree to stretch the lead to six runs again. Star City added another run in the top of the fifth to get within 10-5, but the Lumberjack lead swelled to 13-5 when Tucker McDiarmid punched a two-run single to right-center field and Reep followed with a run-scoring hit of his own. Star City scored one run in the top of the seventh to set the final score of 13-6.
Reep and Denton led the charge at the plate with four hits each and Denton drove home a team-high four runs with Reep and McDiarmid recording a pair of RBIs apiece. Hembree had a strong night at the plate with three hits and three runs scored, while Barnes picked up two hits and an RBI. Jurado scored three times, stole a base, and drove home one run.
Parker O’Neal struggled with command early, but settled in to allow four runs on four hits with seven strikeouts against five walks. Reep came in to throw the final three frames and allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two free passes.
Warren is scheduled to step out of conference to play Maumelle Charter on Monday, April 20. First pitch from the Warren City Complex is set for 4:30 p.m.
