The Warrenton baseball team has faced its share of challenges this season.
With a 10-8 record headed into the last days of April and just two more weeks of regular-season play after this one, …
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The Warrenton baseball team has faced its share of challenges this season.
With a 10-8 record headed into the last days of April and just two more weeks of regular-season play after this one, the Warriors have done well to side-step most challenges.
Perhaps the biggest loss for the team has been that of all-state pitcher/shortstop Carter Martin, who hasn’t played for Coach Eric Burle’s team since April 8 due to mononucleosis.
“He’s faced some complications,” Burle said. “It has hampered (him). It doesn’t look like (he’ll return this season).”
Still, without Martin, the Warriors had won five straight games prior to a loss to Montgomery County on Friday. During the win streak, Warrenton averaged 10.8 runs per game before dropping the 13-2 decision to the Wildcats.
The defeat was the fourth game in four days.
Burle said no one is making any excuses for the loss.
“I am happy with the direction we’re heading,” Burle said. “We have a young, inexperienced team, but we’ve played well the last two weeks. Hopefully, we had (a bad) 24-hour period and we’ll flush it.”
The loss aside, Burle said that he’s really had some unsung heroes come through.
Even though Warrenton has a deep well of arms ready to take the mound, having each pitcher move up a spot after losing the team’s ace in Martin has taken a bit of an adjustment.
Leading the way have been juniors Jake Kirkpatrick (4-0 record, 1.84 earned run average in 26 and two-thirds innings) and Keeton Young (3-1, 1.58, 26.7).
On offense, Warrenton has been led by Kirkpatrick (.476, one home run, 16 RBI), fellow junior Ric Standley (.434, two triples, one home run, 12 RBI) and Young (.333, 11 RBI).
“Carter has been the best pitcher in the conference, and we’re getting the same type of (production) out of Jake,” Burle said. “Keeton has stepped in behind Jake and has also been great. We’ve been able to score more runs as we’ve had guys figuring things out.”
After a pair of games with Orchard Farm during midweek, Warrenton will host Borgia at 9 a.m. on Saturday before playing GAC North foe St. Charles in two games next week.
“On paper, Orchard Farm is a very good team who is (a title contender),” Burle said. “We’re just going to go out and keep working hard to play good baseball and try to win games.”
