Warriors Open Three-Game Series With Win

The Nelson Warriors' baseball team (5-13) kicked off their three-game series against the Simpson Red Hawks with a hard-fought 7-5 victory at home at Cortez High School in Phoenix, AZ, snapping a tough three-game losing streak, and giving the squad a much-needed boost heading into a double-header on Saturday.

Simpson struck first in the top of the second with an RBI sacrifice fly to take an early 1-0 lead. Yet undeterred, the Warriors answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning when Matthew Schulz led off with a double, Jimmy Holloway drew a walk, and an error by the Red Hawks allowed Schulz to score the tying run. A ground out followed that plated Holloway, giving Nelson a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the fourth, when the Warriors exploded with two outs already recorded in the inning. With runners on the corners, Brandon Ramirez delivered a clutch single to right that drove in Aaron Bazan making the score 3-1. Ethan Gustafson followed immediately with a two-run double to stretch the advantage to 5-1 before Schulz stepped to the plate and crushed a booming three-run home run to center field, his second long ball of the season, to cap the five-run inning and blow the game open at 7-1.

Simpson refused to go quietly, chipping away with two runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-5 and keep the pressure on late. But closer Adrian Imperial slammed the door, throwing three strong innings of relief behind starter Eli Arsenault. Imperial retired the side 1-2-3 in the ninth, striking out the final batter to secure the victory and earn the save.

Arsenault turned in a solid start, throwing six strong innings, allowing three runs, just one earned, with two walks and seven strikeouts, keeping the Red Hawks in check early and giving the offense room to breathe. In his three innings, Imperial allowed the final two runs, both solo home runs, while striking out five.

Schulz paced the offensive attack with a walk and a multi-hit, multi-RBI night capped by the big homer, while Bazan too recorded two hits, and Ramirez, Gustafson, and Holloway each contributed key hits and runs in a balanced offensive effort.

See the Nelson Warriors' baseball page for their upcoming schedule.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and Instagram at @nelsonwarriors.athletics.