The Warren East baseball team recorded another resume-building victory on Tuesday evening at Raider Ballpark.
Entering the District 14 series opener with longtime foe Bowling Green riding a six-game winning streak, the Raiders looked to continue their winning ways. Thanks to senior Davion Downey’s heroics, East was able to do just that.
With his team down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning and a runner already on base, Downey took a 3-2 pitch from BG closer Luke Brown and sent it over the wall in right field, allowing the Raiders (13-4) to place a seventh-straight check in the win column.
While the Baylor signee’s homerun was his first hit of the game, Dakota Basham, Ryan Hawks, Matt Alford, Colson Elkins and Ty Colson each tallied one hit each. On the mound for the Raiders, the Louisville commit Hawks threw a complete game, allowing 11 hits and four runs while finishing with six strikeouts.
In their loss, the Purples (11-7) were carried by Nick Meyer’s three-hit, two-RBI performance. Starting pitcher Tyler Stahl went 5.33 innings, giving up four hits and three runs to go along with eight K’s while also going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
The two clubs meet again for Game 2 Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at WEHS. Greenwood and Warren Central begin the doubleheader at 5 p.m.
Bowling Green stuck first, as Brown led off with a triple into centerfield. Meyer followed up with a single to score Brown and give the Purples the early 1-0 lead.
Stahl was called for a balk in the bottom of the second, which plated Ty Stringfield from third base to help Warren East even it at 1-1. Stahl responded on the offensive end in the ensuing inning, tallying an RBI double before Logan Bowen’s hit and a WE error scored another BG runner, making it a 3-1 affair.
Meyer’s RBI single in the fourth increased the Purples’ advantage to 4-1 – and with runners on first and second with two outs, the game was delayed due to rain. Play resumed about 15 minutes later with the Raiders getting the final out of the frame.
Playing from behind for its second-straight contest, East wasn’t giving up.
Trailing by a trio of runs, Colson singled, leading to a Bowling Green throwing error that scored a WE runner, bringing the Raiders to within two at 4-2. Colson continued to work his bat, recording an RBI single in the bottom of sixth to make it 4-3.
After Hawks and the WE defense held the Purples in the top of the seventh, the Raiders put themselves in a good spot entering the bottom half of the frame.
With a runner on base and the power-hitter Downey at the plate, he smashed Brown’s pitch over the wall in right to give Warren East the come-from-behind, walkoff win.
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