Ben Berdine

OIL CITY — After losing two in a row, Warren has won two straight, including a 13-4 nonregion win on Saturday at Oil City.

The Dragons jumped out to a 5-0 lead that included back-to-back home runs in the top of the first by Micah Passmore and Ben Berdine. Berdine added a two-run single to key a three-run second inning.

Warren starter Ethan Wilson was pitching well until running into trouble in the bottom of the third. After two innocent outs, Wilson walked two, hit a batter and walked a third with the bases loaded for a 5-1 lead. A bloop RBI single by Jacob Teeter made it 5-2 and chased Wilson. Freshman Eric Dippold was greeted with a two-run single to right by Koen Bearer on his first pitch, but settled in the rest of the way.

Dippold threw the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and no earned runs.

As much as the hot start, Warren coach Rick Eaton liked how the Dragons responded to Oil City’s four-run inning.

“It was a good team win,” said Warren coach Rick Eaton. “It’s good to be 8-3; we’ve won the games we were supposed to win … and we haven’t really played a game well yet in all three facets of the game (together).”

Passmore reached to start the fourth, Berdine doubled for his third hit and James Swanson reached to load the bases. Warren would score five runs on an error, an RBI walk to Alex Borger, a groundout by Dippold, a Gio Elinsky hit by pitch and Passmore walk. Berdine had the only hit in the five-run fourth.

A couple of sacrifice flies later, Warren improved to 8-3 overall. Berdine had three hits, and JT Blum and Passmore two apiece.

Dippold earned his first varsity win, throwing 32 of 49 pitches for strikes, and 11 of 17 first-pitch strikes. He walked one and struck out one.

Oil City (5-5) was held to five hits, but walked nine times and was hit twice.

Warren (5-3 in Region 5) has a big matchup at first-place Harbor Creek (7-0) on Thursday.