Looking to get back on track after dropping their first game in nine contests a week earlier, Warren East used a balanced scoring attack to hold back a hard-charging Allen County-Scottsville team in a 11-4 win.
The Raiders (15-5) lost a 6-1 decision last Thursday to Bowling Green after winning eight straight games. A week of rest after that series seemed to pay dividends to for East, who pounded out 10 hits in the win.
The Raiders grabbed a 1-0 early as Ty Stringfield got a line drive to drop in right field to bring in Davion Downey from second.
The Patriots (7-13) threatened in the bottom of the third inning with runners at first and second before Sheldon Peay hit a line drive into a double play to keep Warren East in front.
The Raiders tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth inning when Matt Mellencamp dropped a single into center field to bring in Ryan Hawks and courtesy runner Tyler Jones, expanding the Warren East lead to 3-0.
ACS answered in the bottom of the fourth inning when Cayden Ross hit a line drive to center field to bring in Marcus Carter and Zack Sowers to cut the lead to 3-2 before Ross was gunned down by Downey while trying to turn third base.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, the Raiders caught the Patriots napping as an Owen Stamper pitch got past catcher Drew Meador to score Austin Hymer and Dakota Basham, stretching the Warren East lead to 5-2.
Shortly after, Hawks knocked a double to bring in Downey for another run and a 6-2 lead.
After ACS went three pitches, three outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, East had runners on second and third when a balk call on Stamper brought in Jones for another run.
On the next pitch, Basham unloaded on a ball to left center field for a two-run homer to blow open a 9-2 lead for the Raiders.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Patriots cut the lead to 9-4 when Brett Rippy hit a single to bring in Ross and Seth Davis, who had come in to replace Stamper on the mound and in the lineup after the Basham home run.
East added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning when Mellencamp and Ty Colson recorded hits to bring in Hawks and Chauncy Greer, making the Raider lead 11-4.
Of Warren East’s 10 hits on the evening, Colson and Mellencamp each recorded two apiece. Allen County-Scottsville laid down 12 hits on the evening including three from Ross and two apiece from Warren Bray, Arron Howell, and Rippy.
The Patriots will host a double-header with Green County on Saturday, with the first game beginning and 12:00 p.m. and the second game starting at 2:00 p.m. Warren East will pay a visit to Grayson County at 5:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
