The streak is over. Two weeks after snapping a 23-game losing skid, the Warrenton baseball team has conquered another milestone. The Warriors outlasted St. Charles West 7-4 on Tuesday, earning their first GAC North Conference win since beating St. Charles on April 29, 2008. "To come out here and persevere against a conference opponent that Warrenton has lost to in their last few opportunities - a team that's been in the top of our conference for quite some time - was huge," said coach Eric Burle. It was the first conference victory for starting pitcher Alan Burbach and it's his most accomplished win to date. He tossed a full seven innings and was able to keep St. Charles West's batters at bay. "Once we got them down, the pressure was on them," said Burbach. "Noone wants to lose to Warrenton, so we just went out there played loose, had fun and were able to beat them." The game stood scoreless until Warrenton drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Chad Berrey scored and Anthony Archer also reached home, after getting on base via a double. St. Charles West fired back in the top of the fifth, tying the game at 2-2. But timely hitting and smart decision-making on the base pass kept Warrenton racing toward home. The Warriors unleashed four more runs in the fifth inning. Jake Shough and Berrey each. Senior Max Swacker and Charlie Schneider (courtesy running for Burbach) also reached home that inning to push Warrenton ahead 6-2. St. Charles West countered with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, but junior Matt Denton added the punctuating run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning. Burbach says he felt stronger on the mound as the game progressed. "I finally gained command of my fastball and started throwing for strikes in the fourth inning on," said Burbach. It marked another breakthrough for a team that suffered through a winless season in 2009. "It's really awesome, because it's been long time since we've won a GAC North game," said senior Russell Nanney. He says St. Charles West may not have been prepared for what awaited them when they stepped off the bus on Wednesday. "I thought we caught them a little off guard," said Nanney. "I think they were expecting to come out here and stomp us." Coach Eric Burle says it was pivotal for his team to gain early control with a 2-0 lead, putting the pressure on St. Charles West. "If you're able to grab that lead, it picks up your pitcher and your defense," said Burle. "You can play a little more loose and not afraid to make a mistake here and there, because you've got a little cushion ahead of you." With a limited pitching arsenal that isn't designed around striking out batters, the Warriors have to rely on sound defensive support. Burle felt like that existed for the most part on Tuesday - or when a letdown did occur, the Warriors promptly picked themselves back up. "We stayed solid defensively, and Burbach made them put the ball in play," said Burle. He acknowledged that it's even more impressing considering the Warriors were fresh off a disheartening 10-inning defeat at Troy that kept have left them hanging their heads. Burbach also recognized that the team's morale seems to be making a difference in how it responds. "We have more mental toughness and discipline than we did last year," said Burbach. "And we're playing well together as a team." Burbach allowed six hits and turned in a pair of strikeouts during his first GAC North varsity win. The Warriors hitting effort was led by Archer and Berrey, who each had two hits. Nanney added a pair of RBIs.