WEST POINT, Ala. – After splitting a weekend doubleheader with Scottsboro and Boaz, the West Point Warriors returned home Monday night for a matchup with West Morgan. Cade Welborn and Kanaan Sutter combined to allow just one unearned run on the mound and the Warriors plated a pair of runs in the opening frame on their way to a 3-1 win.
Welborn collected a pair of strikeouts in the top of the first and West Point got off to a fast start at the plate. Boston Freeman worked a leadoff walk to reach first base and Brody Freeman punched a single into left field to move him over to second. J.D. Cochran kept things going with a single to load up the bases and Colton McCoy was hit by a pitch to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Jay Lamar drew a walk later in the inning to bring another run across the plate and West Point went into the second leading 2-0.
Welborn worked his way out of a two-walk jam in the top of the second to keep the Rebels off the board and in the top of the third, Welborn and the Warrior defense stranded two more West Morgan runners to maintain a 2-0 lead. Cochran scored on an error in the bottom half of the third to extend the lead to 3-0. Sutter took the mound in the fourth and finished the inning with a pair of strikeouts and with runners and with the bases loaded in the fifth, Sutter punched out two more Rebels to keep the Warriors in front 3-0.
An error allowed West Morgan to trim the lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth but Sutter finished off the sixth with another strikeout to limit the damage. An error and a hit batter gave the Rebels a pair of base runners to start the seventh but the lead runner was picked off at second for the first out and a sac bunt led to the second out. With a runner on second, Sutter struck out the final batter to secure a 3-1 win for West Point.
Cochran finished 3/3 at the plate in the win. Boston Freeman, Brody Freeman and Sutter each added a hit for West Point and McCoy and Lamar each posted RBIs. Welborn tossed three scoreless innings for the Warriors, allowing five hits and collecting three strikeouts and Sutter pitched the next four, striking out six batters and allowing just two hits.
West Point will be back home Tuesday night for a matchup with Arab.
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