STAR CITY, Ark. – A gritty pitching performance from Ervin Rivera and some timely hits helped the Warren baseball team to a 7-3 victory at Star City Wednesday evening in the team’s first road 4A-8 Conference game of the season.
The Lumberjacks improve to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in conference play, while the Bulldogs fall to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in league action. Ervin Rivera threw a complete game for the Jacks to earn the victory on the mound. The junior hurler allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and seven walks, three of which were intentional. He struggled with command at times, but ultimately shut Star City down as he didn’t allow a hit after the second inning.
Top photo: Lumberjacks Ren Reep and Ervin Rivera. Photo by Saline River Chronicle.
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Defino Rivera led the Orange and Black at the plate with one big hit, a two-run single in the fifth inning to make the score 6-3, in four attempts at the plate. He also drove in another run for three RBIs on the night and played a fantastic game on defense at first base. For his efforts, he was named the Greg Harton Shelter Insurance Player of the Game.
The Bulldogs raced out to a 2-0 edge in the first inning after they recorded three of their four hits on the day. Warren got one run back in the top of the second on an error off the bat of Antonio Jordan. The visitors tied the game in the next frame when Kolby Pope scored on a RBI groundout by Delfino Rivera. The ball was hit back to the pitcher, but Pope read the play perfectly as he took off for home from third base when the throw to first was made and slid in safely ahead of the throw.
Maddox Lassiter advanced to third on the play and the Star City pitcher decided to pitch from the windup during the next at-bat. This proved to be a huge mistake as Lassiter timed him up and was able to perfectly execute a straight steal of home to give the Jacks a 3-2 edge after three innings.
The Bulldogs were able to tie the game in the bottom of the third after a lead-off walk came around to score on an error. The score remained tied until Lassiter drove home Nathan Spears with a double in the top of the fifth. That set up the aforementioned base hit from Delfino Rivera that plated Pope and Lassiter to push the score to 6-3 in favor of the Jacks.
Ren Reep extended the Orange and Black’s advantage to 7-3 when he ripped an RBI single to score pinch-runner JD Tillman in the top of the sixth. The bottom of the seventh started with an intentional walk, but a 6-4-3 double play erased the baserunner. The four-run victory for the Jacks was clinched when a fly ball landed in Jordan’s glove in center field for the final out.
Pope was the only Lumberjack to pick up two hits on the day and added two runs scored. Lassiter picked up a hit and scored two runs, while Bryson Harris and Reep each had a base knock.
The Lumberjacks have an extended break with the team’s next games coming up on Friday, March 24. Warren will take on Newport and Jacksonville in the Maumelle Charter High School Spring Break Tournament with the first game scheduled for 9 a.m., and the second one to follow.
I wish they would have let Christian Carnal bat.