WEST POINT, Ala. – After taking game one of their area series at Jasper Wednesday night, the West Point Warriors returned home Thursday for games two and three against the Vikings. The Warriors took care of business in game one, hammering Jasper 12-1 in five innings to secure the series win. J.D. Cochran led the way on the mound and Cade Welborn led the way at the plate. Cochran tossed all five innings, allowing one run on just three hits and striking out nine batters to earn the win. Welborn finished with a pair of hits, a walk and four RBIs.
West Point 12 – Jasper 1 (Game One)
Welborn drove in Jay Lamar with a single up the middle to give West Point a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and the Warriors added to their lead in the second. Cochran punched a single into left field to plate Gus McKenney and Deacon Stutchman, stretching the lead to 3-0. Welborn tacked on three more runs with a bases-clearing double later in the inning, giving West Point a 6-0 advantage going into the third.
Stutchman ripped a double into center field to bring Cooper Howard in for another run in the bottom of the third and he scored on a passed ball later in the inning to make it an 8-0 game going into the fourth. Jasper was able to push one run across in the top of the fourth to trim the lead to 8-1 but the Warriors responded in their half of the inning. An RBI single from Howard put West Point ahead 9-1 and McKenney was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run. Boston Freeman put two more runs on the board with an RBI single later in the inning to make it 12-1 and Cochran struck out the side in the top of the fifth to cap a 12-1 win for the Warriors.
Freeman was 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs in the win. Cochran (one hit) posted two RBIs and Stutchman, McKenney and Howard each added a hit and an RBI as well.
West Point 7 – Jasper 4 (Game Two)
Boston Freeman and Cade Welborn each scored on errors to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Jasper was able to string some hits together and take a 4-2 lead in the top of the second. In the bottom of the third, Freeman scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-3 and Jay Lamar drove a double into right field to plate Welborn and tie the game at 4 going into the fourth.
After a pair of scoreless innings, West Point moved back in front in the bottom of the sixth. Gus McKenney scored from third on a sac fly by Brayden Eaton to give the Warriors a 5-4 lead and an RBI single off the bat of Stutchman stretched the lead to 6-4. Stutchman scored on a fielder’s choice just a few pitches later and West Point went into the final frame with a 3-run lead. The Warriors collected the final three outs in the top of the seventh to cap a 7-4 win and a series sweep of the Vikings.
Freeman (one RBI) and Welborn (one RBI) each finished with a pair of RBIs in the win. Lamar and Stutchman each posted a hit and an RBI as well.
The Warriors will remain home for the first game of their area series with Russellville Tuesday night.
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