Tropics' Warren continues 'excellent' summer season in latest rout of Squirrels

Southeast Tropics hitter Beau-Hunter Warren readies for a pitch in a recent game against the Cardinals Legacy Perfectos 19U squad at Kelly High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The Southeast Tropics manhandled the Aycorp Charleston Fighting Squirrels 11-2 on Friday at Hillhouse Park on the opening day of the Big Nuts Classic, and they did so with great pitching and strong offense, both of which Beau-Hunter Warren contributed to.

“Beau-Hunter Warren has been excellent,” veteran Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz said earlier this summer season.

On Friday, the recent Portageville High School graduate limited the Squirrels (5-6) to just two earned runs on four hits.

“(Warren) flies kind of under the radar,” Schwartz said, “but he was a (MBCA Class 2) Second Team All-State player.

“We’ve got some great arms.”

Friday’s start was Warren’s third of this summer and fourth appearance overall.

In a 13-1 rout of the Jumbos 19U squad earlier this month, Warren threw four innings and allowed only two hits and one earned run.

He threw a complete seven-inning game in a 6-0 shutout of the Bulls White team, and gave up just two hits, no runs, one walk, and struck out 11.

Former Portageville pitcher Thomas Frakes closed Friday’s game with a shutout inning while Warren struck out five hitters and threw 43 strikes in 73 pitches.

The Tropics (11-4) fell behind 1-0 following the Squirrel's initial at-bat but answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

The Fighting Squirrels came back with a run in the second, but the Tropics responded with four runs in each of the third and fourth innings to win in five innings.

Warren had a couple of hits, including a triple, to go with two RBI and a run scored while Three Rivers College sophomore-to-be Trey Benthal paced the Tropics with three hits, including a triple, four RBI, and a couple of runs scored.

Another Portageville High player, Aaron Dunlap had a double as one of his two hits while he also scored twice and had an RBI.

Mineral Area College signee Mason Adams, who was the Bootheel Conference Player of the Year at Portageville this spring had hit a double, scored twice, drove in a run, and walked once while Kolten Payne (two hits, two runs, one RBI), Dalton Forck (two RBI), Luke Umfleet (one hit), Jay Bogan (one hit, one run), and Ross Peters (one run) also contributed.

Dunlap and Reece Eftink also stole a base in the win.

Brady Smith led the Squirrels with two hits, one run scored, and an RBI while Talan McDaniel (one hit, one RBI), Owen Willis (one hit), Chase Worthy (one run, one walk), Peyton Hodges (two walks), and Bryant Gunn (one walk), also were productive.

The Squirrels will play Mountain Home Locker Room 19U later today at Hillhouse Park while the Tropics will face the Moberly Sixers 19U at 5 p.m. today at Cape Central High School.