South Warren is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Monday. They will host the Bowling Green Purples at 6:00 p.m. South Warren will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
South Warren barely beat Warren East the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Spartans were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Raiders on Friday. Considering the Spartans have won ten matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Austin Allen looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Ty Croghan and Griffin Rardin did most of the damage at the plate: Croghan got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Rardin went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Croghan also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Brandon Perkins Jr. was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Bowling Green didn't have quite enough to beat Eastern on Saturday and fell 5-4.
Grayson Rodgers was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Evan Schallert made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was James Yarbrough, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
South Warren's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Bowling Green, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-6.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. South Warren hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Bowling Green struggles in that department as they've averaged .312. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
South Warren came out on top in a nail-biter against Bowling Green when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Purples turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
