When Ryan Hawks is on, so is Warren East.
The junior pitcher — and University of Louisville commit — tossed a complete game no-hitter for the third time in his career with 13 strikeouts to lead the Raiders to a 4-0, series-clinching shutout win over Greenwood on Wednesday evening at Corey Hart Ballpark.
“He works,” Warren East pitching coach Eugene Flippin said of Hawks. “Tomorrow, he’ll be out working like it’s another day at the office for him. That’s what I like about him. He’s never content; he’s always pushing himself forward, and he puts his teammates first. When he’s on the mound, we feel pretty good and like our chances.”
Hawks, who improved to 5-0 when starting on the mound in 2018, needed just 81 pitches — including 61 strikes — to earn the victory. Behind his arm, Warren East (7-6 overall, 3-2 District 14) finished with six hits as Ty Stringfield led the way offensively for a second straight game with a 2-for-4, two RBI showing.
“It’s an incredible feeling for me as a player, but us as a team, too,” Hawks said. “To come out and get a series win, it’s huge for us and for the seeding of the district tournament. It feels really good as a team.”
A two-run home run by Stringfield in the top of the third inning gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead, and they later doubled it to 4-0 three frames later with Greenwood transfer Tanner Burckhard’s two-run double.
Despite Wednesday’s loss, Greenwood pitcher Mac Ausbrooks threw 11 strikeouts in six innings of action for the Gators (10-5, 3-2).
“Two routine fly balls — one turns into a homer and one turns into a two-run double — and that ends up being the difference,” Greenwood coach Jason Jaggers said. “I thought Mac pitched his tail off. I thought he did a great job. You know your room for error against a Division I pitcher is slim, and he was on tonight. I was proud of our guys for the way they competed.”
After hitting a single in the top of the first, Stringfield came up big two innings later.
With Nolan Ford on after reaching on a single, Stringfield sent a two-run shot over the center field wall to give Warren East a 2-0 lead.
“He’s really stepped it up, and we’ve really needed him to” Hawks said of Stringfield. “He’s a big spark for our offense, and we need that from him this year. He’s really stepped up this series and gave us a jump that we needed.”
The Raiders got the bases loaded in the next frame, but Ausbrooks made Sheldon Martin strikeout swinging to get Greenwood out of the jam.
That didn’t seem to phase the visitors, though.
Leading 2-0 in the sixth, Warren East doubled its advantage to 4-0 with the two-run double by Burckhard. With Colson Elkins and Caiden Humphrey both on after reaching on an error and walk, respectively, Burckhard sent a pitch to center field to score the two runners and put the Raiders in a comfortable spot.
“He’s another one that’s struggled at the plate a little bit but has taken his opportunities and cashed in,” Flippin said of Burckhard. “He’s worked hard in the cage this week. He came up and got a big hit, and you could kind of see that he got the monkey off his back.”
The two sides will conclude their three-game set at 6 p.m. Thursday at Raider Ballpark with Greenwood looking to avoid the sweep.
–Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TMansfieldST.–
