Irwin dominates again, Morrison goes deep as Dragons pummel Harbor Creek
When Warren traveled to Harbor Creek earlier this season, the Dragons couldn’t keep Nick Trombetta and Lucas Folmer off the bases.
The pair accounted for six of the Huskies 10 hits and four of the seven runs in a 7-1 win.
When they had their rematch at Legion Field Tuesday, Warren starter Adam Irwin kept nearly the entire lineup from reaching. The senior gave up one run on three hits and got plenty of run support, including a monster home run from Aidan Morrison in a 10-1 win over the Region 6 champs.
“He’s only given up two runs in 27 innings,” Warren coach Rick Eaton said of his newly minted ace. “He’s worked his way up to the 1-spot.”
Irwin was brilliant from the start, setting down the first six batters he faced, and Warren’s offense got to work off the bat.
After failing to record a hit for the first time this season at McDowell Friday, Mitch Grosch started a new hitting streak with a leadoff single. Austyn Cummings followed with a walk and Morrison hit a single to load the bases. Grosch came home on a wild pitch to put the Dragons up 1-0. Two outs later, Owen Balas drew a walk to reload the bases and Nate Betts hit a sharp liner that just went out of the reach of Folmar at short to score Cummings and Morrison.
“We jumped out early,” Eaton said. “Betts had a huge hit to get us a crooked number there.”
Colby Johnson walked to fill the bases for the third time in the inning and Ryan Rafalski walked to score Balas and put Warren up 4-0 after one.
Harbor Creek threatened in the third. Casey Smith led off with a single to right, the Huskies first hit of the game and moved to second when BJ Johnson drew a one-out walk. Trombetta battled to a full count, but Irwin got him swinging and Morrison fired to third to catch Smith trying to steal.
The Huskies got on the board in the fourth. Folmer led off with a single to right and moved to second on a wild pitch. Ryan MacGurn’s groundout moved him to third and he scored on a wild pitch.
The Dragons responded in a big way in the home half. Johnson led off with a single and, two outs later, Cummings singled to put runners on the corners. Morrison stepped in, took one pitch then drilled a towering shot on the next pitch over the scoreboard in left to give the Dragons a 7-1 advantage.
“Aidan gave us a working lead there,” Eaton said.
Warren nearly scored a 10-run win in the sixth. Grosch was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Cummings singled him to third and Morrison hit a sac fly to bring him home. Lance Baldensperger roped a triple to right-center to score Cummings, then came home on a balk to close out the scoring.
Morrison finished 2-3 with a run scored and four RBI, plus caught a pair of runners stealing. Cummings and Betts each finished with two hits and Betts had a pair of RBI.
Warren is scheduled to host Olean (NY) today at 4 p.m., weather permitting. The Dragons will then turn their attention to the District 10 playoffs which will begin for them Tuesday.
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HARBOR CREEK (1)
Trombetta, cf, 2-0-0-0, Folmar, ss, 3-1-2-0, Dorosch, cr, 0-0-0-0, MacGurn, c, 3-0-0-0, Mosbacher, 1b, 3-0-0-0, Hoover, p, 2-0-0-0, Sorenson, rf, 1-0-0-0, Co. Smith, lf, 2-0-0-0, Lucas, lf, 1-0-0-0, Ca. Smith, 2b, 2-0-1-0, J. Vaugh, 3b, 2-0-0-0, A. Vaughn, 3b, 0-0-0-0, Johnson, rf/p, 1-0-0-0, Grabowski, p, 0-0-0-0, Team 22-1-3-0
WARREN (10)
Grosch, 3b, 3-2-1-0, Cummings, 1b, 3-3-2-0, Morrison, c, 3-1-2-4, Arnold, cr, 0-1-0-0, Baldensperger, cf, 4-1-1-1, Knapp, 2b, 4-0-0-0, Balas, rf, 3-1-1-0, Betts, lf, 3-0-2-2, Johnson, dh, 2-1-1-0, Rafalski, ss, 2-0-0-1, Irwin, p, 0-0-0-0, Team 27-10-10-8
Harbor Creek 000 100 0 – 1 3 1
Warren
3b-Baldensperger (W). HR-Morrison (W). WP-Irwin. LP-Hoover.
Pitching
Harbor Creek
Hoover 4 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Johnson IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Grabowski IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Warren
Irwin 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K