The Warrenton Warriors used a six-run fourth inning Monday to win their third straight game.

Warrenton (6-4) defeated Montgomery County 8-5 Monday to earn their fifth win of the season. The win moved Warrenton above the .500 mark for the first time since they were 1-0 this season. They defeated St. Charles 12-2 Tuesday to move the winning streak to four games.

Warrenton opened the scoring with a run in the third inning after failing to score in the first two innings, despite having a runner in scoring position both innings. Sophomore Caleb Clark scored from second base on a flyout to right field. Clark went from second to third on Bailey Meyer’s flyout and scored after the ball got away from the Montgomery County infielder.   

Montgomery County claimed a brief 2-1 lead after scoring two runs in the fourth inning. The Warriors responded by scoring six runs in their half of the fourth inning. All the runs scored with two outs.

Tyler Oliver led off the inning with a double. Courtesy runner Collin Disilvister advanced to third base on a pitch in the dirt. Ben Peth and pinch-hitter Stephen Geisel were both unable to get the run across home plate to tie the game. Peth grounded out and Geisel struck out. Troy Anderson singled with two outs to score Disilvister and tie the game.

“It was a big hit with two outs,” Warrenton baseball coach Eric Burle said. “That could have given them a lot of momentum. Us getting those guys on early. Having them in scoring position and not doing anything with it. And then that two-out hit, he kind of picked up some guys there.”

After Clark walked, Kannon Hibbs singled to score Anderson. With Hibbs’ single, the Warriors claimed a 3-2 lead. Clark, Hibbs and Bailey Meyer all scored on Meyer's double. Clark and Hibbs scored on the double. Meyer scored after a ball got away from the Montgomery County defense when Meyer advanced to third on the throw to home plate. Joe Goldsmith doubled to score Dylan Beck to extend the Warrior lead to 7-2. Beck was hit by a pitch to reach base.

“If a team goes on a run, you want to be able to have some type of answer,” Burle said. “And we were able to put up six runs which was big. I think part of it was we got the heart of our order up and early on they were pitching around Kannon… First couple of at bats they weren’t even trying to pitch to him. But then I think he came up in a situation where they didn’t have anywhere to put him. I think he got a big hit there. But a lot of guys got big hits.”

Warrenton and Montgomery County each scored one run in the fifth inning. Montgomery County scored two in the sixth inning to trim the Warrenton lead to 8-5. Montgomery County brought the tying run to the plate with no outs in the seventh inning but Sam Wortham and Ben Peth combined to get three outs to clinch the win for Warrenton. Peth came in with two outs in the seventh inning and struck out the Montgomery County batter to end the game.

Bailey Meyer pitched the first three innings of the game. He did not allow a run. He struck out eight batters. Oliver pitched two innings and Wortham pitched 1 2/3 innings before Peth got the last out of the game. Pitch count limits with conference games the following two days impacted how long Burle stuck with the Warrenton pitchers.

“We have all these pitching rules so where you got to really figure out how you want to go about the game,” Burle said. “Because they can only throw so many pitches to be eligible on whatever day. So Bailey hadn’t gotten some work in a while. He came out in his very first outing and was strong. And then he kind of didn’t have his type of game the last couple games. But he came out and pounded the strike zone and was good. And in a usual situation, you would leave him in there and let him keep pitching. But he was near our pitch count to where we want to be able to bring him back."