WARREN, Ark. (4/11/25) – The Warren High School baseball team suffered its first conference loss of the season by a score of 4-3 to Hamburg after a seventh-inning run for the Lions Friday evening at the Warren Sports Complex.
By Dennen Cuthbertson, SRN Baseball Contributor
The Lumberjacks also saw their five-game win streak snapped as they fell to 12-4 overall and 4-1 in 4A-8 action. Hamburg improved to 2-2 in conference matchups and 7-5 overall.
The Lions started fast with the first three hitters reaching on singles, including one bunt for a hit, in the top of the first. Warren recorded the first out when Hayden Cathey snagged a ground ball and threw home for a force out. However, a two-run double followed to put the visitors ahead. A strikeout and fly out ended the threat.
Hamburg loaded the bases again in the top of the third with three straight singles to lead off the frame, including two bunt base hits. They added a run when the Jacks couldn’t register the out at home plate on a grounder. However, a popup and soft line drive that took shortstop Kolby Pope to the second-base bag resulted in a double play to get Warren out of the jam only down 3-0.
The Orange and Black mounted a comeback in the bottom half of the third when Nathan Spears laced a two-run triple to right-center field to get the team within 3-2. Spears scored on a RBI groundout by Pope to knot things up at 3-3.
The Lions threatened in the fifth inning, but a fantastic throw by Pope from deep in the hole at shortstop and a great tag by catcher Jude Cathey prevented the go-ahead run from scoring after a bobble. Warren put at least two runners on in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, including loading the bases with one out in the sixth, but couldn’t bring the go-ahead run across.
Hamburg put a runner on with one out on a hit-by-pitch in the seventh and he advanced to second on a grounder to shortstop for the second out. A well-placed single to right field scored the go-ahead run just ahead of Aceen Jurado’s throw. The Jacks received a leadoff single from Bryson Harris, but couldn’t extend the game as the Lions claimed a 4-3 victory.
Parker O’Neal tossed six innings for Warren and allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts against one walk. Spears allowed one run in the seventh on the mound on one hit. AJ Jordan and Harris led the team with two hits each, while Spears registered two RBIs.
Warren returns to action with a conference game at home versus Watson Chapel next Tuesday, April 15. First pitch at the Warren Sports Complex is set for 5 p.m.
