ERIE - Since a Region 8-opening loss, Warren has won seven straight, including a 3-1 non-region win on Thursday over defending District 10 Class AAAA champ McDowell.
"We hit the ball good all day, really," said Warren coach Jeff Passaro, whose Dragons are 10-1 overall. "We made their outfielders make some nice catches... but it was a well-played game. McDowell's usually one of the better teams in the district."
The win came a day before the Dragons host Harbor Creek at 4 p.m. at Old Legion Field in a big region game.
"(It's) a big game," said Passaro, whose Dragons are 5-1 in the region - one game ahead of the second-place Huskies and General McLane (both 4-2).
On Thursday, Hank Morrison threw a complete-game four-hitter, striking out four. He kept the Trojans off-balance for the most part.
Tennessee Tech-recruit Luke Nientimp settled down after allowing Warren two runs in the first.
Kory Thomas had a check-swing infield single, and a Hank Morrison walk made it first and second Warren in the top of the first. Kevin VanOrd's RBI single opened the scoring, and Matt Jaskolka added an RBI double in the frame.
"They shut us down, and (Morrison allowed), from the second inning on, one hit in the third and one in the seventh," said Passaro.
Dan Maeder led off the top of the seventh inning with a double down the left-field line. Two outs later, Andrew Bevevino doubled him home with an insurance run.
Bevevino had kept the lead at 2-0 Warren in the bottom of the first when the catcher threw out a McDowell baserunner trying to steal third with one out.
McDowell is 12-3 overall.
Todd Fasenmyer had a two-run, go-ahead single in the top of the sixth inning in Warren's 11-7 junior varsity win. Jason Stanton had three hits, including yet another triple, and Austin Schwanke and Fasenmyer finished with two hits each for 10-1 Warren. Fasenmyer had three RBI and Tanner Stanz and Johnny White two RBI each in the comeback win.
Jason Stanton, Austin Schwanke 2, Fasenmyer 2... 3 rbi Stanz 2 RBI
WARREN (3): ab-r-h-rbi, Thomas ss 4-1-1-0, Bevevino c 4-0-1-1, Morrison p 2-0-1-0, Fantaskey cr 0-1-0-0, Walters cr 0-0-0-0, VanOrd 3b 4-0-1-1, Fantaskey 3b 0-0-0-0, Jaskolka rf 3-0-1-1, Dorunda 2b 3-0-0-0, McMeans 1b 2-0-0-0, Maeder lf 3-1-2-0, Danielson cf 3-0-0-0. Totals 28-3-7-3.
McDOWELL (1): Hansen 2b 3-0-1-0, Warren lf 3-0-0-0, Margraf ss 3-0-0-0, Nientimp p 3-1-1-1-0, Kaverman 1b 1-0-1-0, Bohman c 2-0-0-1, Platz rf 3-0-0-0, Sardini cf 1-0-1-0, Borsa cf 1-0-0-0, Suppa 3b 1-0-0-0. Totals 21-1-4-1.
Warren 200 000 1 - 3 7 0
McDowell 010 000 0 - 1 4 1
2b-Bevevino (W), Jaskolka (W), Maeder (W), Hansen (M), Nientimp (M). WP-Morrison. LP-Nientimp.
Junior varsity game
Warren 005 103 2 - 11 11 3
McDowell 101 320 0 - 7 8 2
2b-Schwanke (W), Hultquist (W), Bailey (M), Carone (M), Kightlinger (M). 3b-Stanton (W), Kightlinger (M). WP-Teconchuk. LP-Christianson. Save-Stanz.
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North East 8, Youngsville 3
NORTH EAST - Despite playing shorthanded on Thursday, Youngsville's baseball team gave favored North East quite a scare during an 8-3 Grapepickers victory at North East High School.
The Eagles trailed just 4-3 as the game entered the bottom of the sixth before errors and inexperience finally caught up with the visitors. Despite the loss, Eagles coach Tom Craig was pleased with his team's performance and the starting pitcher effort of Brandon Cochran.
"I'm very proud of the boys," said Craig. "We were shorthanded today and the guys didn't give up. It was a one-run game until that sixth inning where we committed some untimely errors. Brandon did a great job throwing strikes today. He let them put the ball in play and, for the most part, we played solid defense behind him."
In his first varsity start, Cochran pitched all six innings, allowing only five earned runs on 12 hits.
Down 1-0, Youngsville (2-9) tied the game in the top of the fourth by manufacturing a run. After a single and walk put runners on the corners, Sawyer Dininny hit a grounder down the first baseline that plated a runner and tied the game at 1-1.
Down 4-1 after five innings, the Eagles got within one by scoring two in the top of the sixth. Dininny added his second RBI of the game with a single and a Brodie Turner sacrifice fly brought home Youngsville's third and final run.
The Eagles belted out eight hits in a losing effort. Jake Marino and James Frazier led the way with two hits each.
Youngsville will try to win for the third time this season Friday when it visits Eisenhower.
YOUNGSVILLE (3): ab-r-h-rbi: Marino, c, 4-0-2-0, C. Linkerhof, cf, 3-1-1-0, Frazier, dh, 3-0-2-0, J. Linkerhof, 2b, 0-0-0-0, Craig, ss, 3-2-1-0, Dininny, 1b, 3-0-1-2, Turner, lf, 2-0-0-1, McLaughlin, rf, 3-0-1-0, Henry, 3b, 3-0-0-0, Cochran, p, 3-0-0-0, Totals: 27-3-8-3
NORTH EAST (8): ab-r-h-rbi: Eby, cf, 3-1-1-1, Hoelke, rf, 4-1-1-0, Scotch, c, 3-0-2-0, Sowers, p, 4-1-2-3, Knight, 2b, 4-1-1-1, Erb, 3b, 0-0-0-0, Seymour, dh, 3-1-1-0, Koscewski, 1b, 2-0-1-0, Kitchen, ss, 3-2-2-0, Keith, lf, 2-1-1-0, Totals: 28-8-12-5
Youngsville 000 102 0 - 3 8 2
North East 001 214 x - 8 12 2
2b-Marino (Y), Craig (Y), McLaughlin (Y). WP-Sowers. LP-Cochran.