Warriors Take Early Lead, Beat Clinton County 4-2

White County returned to the win column Monday night with a 4-2 victory over the Clinton County Bulldogs, marking their second win in the last three games. And this time, once they grabbed the lead, they never let it slip away.

The Warriors struck first in the bottom of the third inning, setting the tone early. Cole Gentry reached after being hit by a pitch and later scored on a single from Austin Pionke to break the scoreless tie. White County kept the pressure on as Will Thomas drew a bases-loaded walk, pushing the lead to 2-0 heading into the fourth.

In the fifth inning, Pionke found his way on base again thanks to an error, and Griffin Adams followed with a hard-hit ground ball that the Clinton County shortstop couldn’t handle. The miscue allowed Pionke to cross the plate and extend the lead to three. White County tacked on one more insurance run in the sixth, giving themselves breathing room heading into the final frame.

Clinton County made things interesting in the top of the seventh.

A mix of a single, a walk, passed balls, and a defensive error helped the Bulldogs push two runs across and bring the tying run into play. But the Warriors settled in when it mattered most, closing the door before the rally could grow into something bigger.

On the mound, White County got a strong one-two punch.

Nick Nelson started and delivered four solid innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four. Matthew Wilson took over the rest of the way and finished it off, giving up two hits and striking out five. Notably, neither of Clinton County’s runs were earned.

For a team still working through early-season inconsistencies, Monday night was a step in the right direction — get the lead, build on it, and finish the job.

WHITE COUNTY BOX SCORE

HITS: Clay Brewington 1, Austin Pionke 1, Will Thomas 1, Kolt Norris 1
RUNS: Austin Pionke 2, Cole Gentry 1, Cole Sims 1
RBI: Austin Pionke 1, WIll Thomas 1
TB: Austin Pionke 1, Clay Brewington 1, Kolt Norris 1, Will Thomas 1
HBP: Cole Gentry
SB: Austin Pionke 2, Cole Sims, Kolt Norris, Preston Taylor
E: Cole Gentry, Preston Taylor, Will Thomas

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