MIKE MORRISON, The Marietta Times Warren’s Thomas Miller slides safely into third base with a stolen base as Vinton County third baseman Noah Waddell tries to make the tag in high school baseball action Monday evening at Warren High School. Vinton County claimed a sectional championship with a 8-7 win.

VINCENT — In may not have been the prettiest Division II Sectional Championship game in history but Monday afternoon’s battle between host Warren and Vinton County was a thrilling one none the less.

The two teams combined to make 11 errors and in the end, the Vikings survived a tenacious ninth inning rally to hold off the Warriors for an 8-7 win to claim their first sectional title in 12 years.

Warren entered the last of the seventh inning trailing by three runs but thanks to a trio of VC miscues found themselves one clutch base hit away from victory.

The Warriors scored a pair of runs and loaded the bases with just one out before Viking starting pitcher Jeffrey Harper recovered to retire the final two Warren hitters to preserve the win.

The Vikings got the scoring underway by touching up Warrior starting pitcher Seth Dennis for a pair of unearned runs in the opening inning.

Lead-off batter Jacob Wells walked to begin the game and first baseman Ash Abele followed with a line drive that bounced past the Warrior right fielder Levi Tucker for a hit and an error to move both runners into scoring position.

Dennis retired the next two Vinton County hitters before another Warrior fielding error allowed both runners to cross the plate.

Warren came right back in the bottom of the inning to tie things up as Tucker quickly atoned for his miscue by smashing a two-out, two-run double that scored Evan Gandee and Drew Huffman who had each singled earlier in the inning.

Vinton County jumped back in front in the top of the third via the longball as left fielder Lincoln Hayes hit a rocket over the blue monster in left field for a two-run homer and a 4-2 VC lead.

The Warriors got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third thanks to two more Viking errors but Vinton County began to pull away a bit by plating three more runs and chasing Dennis in the top of the fourth.

The Vikes did all their damage with two out as Wells singled and Abele and Bailey Bartoe followed with back-to-back RBI doubles.

Yet another Warrior fielding error let the third run of the inning score as Vinton County pulled out to a 7-3 lead.

Once again Warren would claw their way back as Gandee’s two-out, two-run single cut the Vikings lead in half heading to the final three innings.

Freshman Kurt Taylor came on in relief of Dennis for the Warriors and allowed only an unearned run the rest of the way to keep the white and royal blue within striking distance.

“Kurt has really been our best reliever all year,” said Warren head coach Ryan Lemley of Taylor, who allowed just one Viking base hit. “We thought about starting him but he has been so good in that role… He is just a freshman so we will have him for three more years.”

Harper was forced to to get extra outs in nearly every single inning due to his teams six errors but managed to hang onto a three-run lead heading to the final inning.

Huffman opened the final inning by walking and came into score the first run of the seventh inning after back-to-back Viking errors off of balls hit by Tucker and Brett Gandee.

Taylor’s line drive was misplayed in center field allowing the second run of the inning to score and moving the tying and winning runs into scoring position with still just one out.

Viking head coach Mike Barrell elected to walk Warren catcher Thomas Miller intentionally to load the bases and set up a force play at every base.

That strategy worked to perfection as Tyler Tanner bounced sharply to third baseman Noah Waddell who fired a strike to home plate to get the second out of the inning.

Harper then got Dennis to hit a one-hopper to Abele at first base who won a foot race to the bag by about a half of step to retire Dennis and clinch the win and sectional title.

“That’s a big win for us because we have been trying to turn the program around and got off to a slow start,” said Barrell. “Those were a couple of nice catches there at the end. That is what makes baseball such a great game because it’s never over until it’s over.”

While the (8-17) Vikings will move along in the tournament to take on Unioto Thursday, Warren’s season comes to a close with a 9-16 mark.

” I was pleased that the kids didn’t quit and kept battling,” said Lemley. “To have the tying and winning runs in scoring position with one out is about all you can ask for in a game where we hadn’t played very well at all.”

The game marked the final one for Warrior seniors Tanner, Tucker and Troy Huck.