Sixth inning nightmare for White County
White County built an early lead, but an eight-run sixth inning by Warren County proved too much to overcome in an 11-7 loss.
Sparta
The White County High School baseball team looked to build some momentum Friday night in McMinnville, aiming for back-to-back wins. But a late-inning surge by Warren County flipped the script, and the Warriors dropped an 11-7 decision, adding another mark to the loss column.
White County came out swinging, striking first with two runs in the top of the second. Preston Taylor worked a leadoff walk and quickly moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Kolt Norris followed with a shot to center field to bring him home. Norris later came around to score before the inning ended, giving the Warriors an early edge.
They added to it in the third. Cole Gentry reached after being hit by a pitch, and with the bases eventually loaded, Taylor delivered again—this time with a deep sacrifice fly to left that allowed Gentry to tag up and score.
Warren County stayed quiet through the first four innings, but broke through in a big way to tie things up. A walk, single, and hit batter loaded the bases, and a costly error behind the plate allowed all three runners to cross, evening the game.
The Warriors answered immediately in the fifth. Gentry doubled to get things going, and Clay Brewington’s infield grounder kept the pressure on. Taylor came through once again, ripping a double that plated both runners and put White County back in front.
But the sixth inning proved to be the difference. Warren County strung together a single, triple, and bunt to tie the game, then kept the momentum rolling. By the time the inning ended, the Pioneers had pushed eight runs across the plate, leaving the Warriors with a steep climb heading into their final at-bat.
White County managed two more runs in the seventh, piecing together three singles and a walk, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
On the mound, the Warriors used four pitchers in the game. Thomas got the start and was charged with the loss, allowing seven runs—five earned—on six hits. Nick Nelson followed, giving up two runs, one earned, while Taylor also surrendered two. Gentry closed things out, recording the final two outs of the sixth inning with a pair of strikeouts to stop the bleeding.
White County Box Score
HITS: Cole Gentry 1, Clay Brewington 1, Preston Taylor 2, Griffin Adams 1, Kolt Norris 1, Matthew Wilson 1, Cole Sims 1
RUNS: Cole Gentry 3, Preston Taylor 1, Kolt Norris 1, Cole Sims 1
RBI: Preston Taylor 4, Griffin Adams 1, Kolt Norris 1
2B: Cole Gentry, Preston Taylor
TB: Preston Taylor 3, Cole Gentry 2, Clay Brewington 1, Cole Sims 1, Griffin Adams 1, Kolt Norris 1, Matthew Wilson 1
HBP: Cole Gentry
SF: Preston Taylor
SB: Griffin Adams, Preston Taylor
E: Clay Brewington 3, Griffin Adams, Matthew Wilson
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Photos by Sam Griffin.
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