Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger Eisenhower’s Kael Hunt stands on third base and talks to Knights assistant coach Derek Jensen during Saturday’s Region 3 game at Rocky Grove.

ERIE — A late comeback fell short on Saturday in Warren’s 5-3 loss at first-place Harbor Creek.

Warren starter Ben Sowa walked seven and allowed five hits, but held the Huskies to five runs — just two of which came after the first inning.

After two were out, Sowa got into some trouble in the first. Two walks both turned into runs when Casey Smith and Gio Barbato had back-to-back RBI hits for a 3-0 lead.

In the second, Owen Blum’s single scored his brother, JT Blum, who finished 2 for 3 with a run scored and RBI on the day; that RBI came in the next inning for Warren to cut the lead to 3-2 Harbor Creek.

Smith had another big hit for the Huskies in the bottom of the third, scoring two (another walk coming around to score).

The 5-2 lead would hold until the seventh. Sowa left two stranded in the fourth, and a line drive double play ended the fifth. He walked two more in the sixth but a fly ball ended the inning without another run.

Eric Dippold and Dylan Maeder started a seventh-inning rally with base hits for Warren. Dippold scored on a pickoff attempt that got away, but the error was starting pitcher Aidan Kelly’s only blemish on the day.

See FALL / Page B2

Kelley threw a 91-pitch complete game, striking out 14 with only one walk in seven innings. He scattered seven hits and only one of the three runs was earned. He threw 23 first-pitch strikes out of 29 batters, and 72 strikes in 91 pitches. The Huskies committed four errors, one by Kelly.

Sowa also finished the game, striking out two and allowing five hits over six innings. He stranded six on base.

Harbor Creek is 17-0 overall and 12-0 in Region 5. Warren falls to 9-6 overall with its third loss in three days and 6-5 in the region. The Dragons play Prep on Monday at Mercyhurst University.

KNIGHTS FALL SHORT

FRANKLIN — Eisenhower’s comeback effort came up just short in an 8-7 Region 3 loss at Rocky Grove on Saturday.

Trailing 8-5, the Knights scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, but a strikeout with two men on base ended the game.

Dillon Benson finished 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored while Owen Trumbull tripled and drove in two runs for the Knights. Teagan Gray also had a pair of hits and two RBIs in the loss.

Michael Shields had two hits and four RBIs; Isaac Clayton had two hits, including a triple; Caden Toscano tripled, drove in a run and scored two runs; Trevor Hamilton doubled; and Braden Eyler had two hits for the Orioles.

Trumbull got all but the final out for Eisenhower, striking out five while allowing eight hits and two walks.

Reece Henderson threw a complete game for Rocky Grove, striking out 10.