With recent storms subsiding, the Warsaw Wildcats were able to travel to Cole Camp on Friday evening for the opening game of the season for both clubs.
Warsaw jumped on Cole Camp in the first for three runs and held on for a sweet 5-2 victory. Three errors hurt Cole Camp in the first. Ryan Fajen reached on an error and scored on a single by Jason Depriest who stole second and later scored on another Bluebirds error.
Garrett Ferguson singled and also scored on an error.
Warsaw scored once in the fourth and once in the fifth for the 5-0 lead.
Warsaw hurler, Josh Bunch, lived up to early expectations, pitching five scoreless innings, and striking out eight, walking two. He threw 74 pitches before giving way to Fajen.
Cole Camp scored twice off Fajen in the sixth. Bovey Clark walked, stole second and scored on a single by Grady Strathman. Grant Rodriguez drove in Strathman on a single to left.
Warsaw coach Johnny Eierman had high praise for Cole Camp,
"They made a game of it late at 5-2. They know how to win, and we are in the same district, so we may see them again," he said.
In Cole Camp's first inning, leadoff batter Reid Harrison reached first on an error by the Wildcats' second baseman. Last season, Harrison set the season stolen base record with 26 and the career record with 67. Kudos to the Wildcats' junior catcher Logan Gemes as he threw out the All-State track star at second base.
Eierman said, "We knew of his speed and that was a big emphasis in practice. On Wednesday, (Jamboree) Boonville and Smith-Cotton ran all over us. We made some adjustments."
He added, "Harrison got on, we knew he would run, Gemes did a slide step and we got the tag down. He (Harrison) is going to steal a lot of bases and I don't think he will be thrown out too many times this season."
Both teams had six hits as the line went 2-6-5 for the Bluebirds and 5-6-1 for Warsaw.
Cole Camp sophomore pitcher Colton Dieckman gave up five runs in five innings while taking the loss. Freshman Blake Abey gave up one hit and no runs in two innings of work on the mound.
Cole Camp Coach Brendan Rusk said, "We played well; ust early season mistakes. They have a good team and we knew this would be tough."
Warsaw moved to 1-0 and Cole Camp fell to 0-1.
