The Warren baseball team celebrates as head coach Chad Porter dumps oranges on his head following the Warriors’ 5-2 win over Hillsboro in Thursday’s district semifinal win at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

ATHENS — The Warren Warriors aren’t a typical seven seed, and they’re proving that to the rest of the Southeast District.

After upsetting second-seeded Miami Trace last week, Warren took down sixth-seeded Hillsboro 5-2 in Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. That sets up a district final showdown with Athens at 7 p.m. today.

Warren (15-14) lost seven of eight games to start the year and was 5-11 at one point, but got hot at the right time and won eight of its next 11 games entering the tournament.

“We were on a streak late in the year,” said WHS head coach Chad Porter, whose club doesn’t have a single senior on the roster. “We get the seven seed in the district out of eight, and these guys didn’t flinch. The resiliency they have is maybe the most I’ve coached in 25 years. The fact that we were the seven seed — a lot of people kind of were palms up, like ‘I can’t believe you guys are the seven seed. You’ve won nine out of 12.’ These guys didn’t care. They just showed up and took care of business.”

Taking care of business on the mound yet again was Carter Strong. The freshman right-hander pitched a complete game, allowing just two unearned runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out seven.

Warren starting pitcher Carter Strong delivers a pitch to Hillsboro’s Jack Cornele during Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

“Being able to locate the pitches when they’re called and just trusting my teammates to be able to make plays behind me,” Strong said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be in the position we were in today. Them being able to make the plays they make is a big deal.”

Strong also pitched in the win against Trace. He’s been a rock at the top of Warren’s rotation.

“Same old, same old,” Porter said. “That’s his seventh win of the season. He’s thrown now, I think, 74 innings, and it’s been like that all 74 innings. What you see is what you get. He’s gonna get on the mound, he’s gonna battle and he’s gonna give you everything he has. He’s gonna compete, he’s gonna pound the zone with strikes, he’s gonna change speeds and he’s gonna give us a shot to win. That’s the thing — he goes out there and gives us an opportunity to win. That’s what we’ve seen the entire year.”

Hillsboro right-hander Luke Holland took the loss. He pitched six innings, fanning six and walking one, while allowing 10 of Warren’s 11 hits.

Braylen Murray, Aiden Lipscomb and Tate Jonas began the top of the third inning with three straight singles to load the bases with one out. Cleanup batter Jayce Hilverding cashed in with a two-run single to center field to stake the Warriors to a 2-0 lead.

Hillsboro’s Brady Juillerat tags out Warren’s Will Carte on a sacrifice bunt during Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

“We adjusted,” Porter said. “First two innings, the ball’s getting a little deep and we’re banging the ball into the ground a little bit. We weren’t attacking the fastball and then he was throwing that breaking ball, and when he came back to the fastball it looked a little harder. I thought we made excellent adjustments after that second inning. We were able to bunt a little bit, able to steal, and just like at Miami Trace, we picked up some key hits with one and two outs that were huge. That’s important to win baseball games.”

The only trouble Strong got in all day was in the bottom of the fourth. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Strong induced back-to-back popouts. He appeared to get out of the jam when he got Brody Kelch to bounce to short, but a throwing error allowed both runs to cross, tying the game at 2-all.

That could’ve been a turning point with the Indians grabbing some momentum, but Warren’s bats answered right back.

With Lipscomb on third with two outs, Bo Jonas cranked a double to deep right field to put Warren back on top 3-2.

“We lost a lot of momentum right there, but being able to come back that inning and answer right back was big,” Strong admitted.

Warren’s Tate Jonas (11) celebrates with teammate Haiden Strong after scoring a run against Hillsboro during Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Warren added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh. With runners on the corners and one away in the sixth, Murray brought in Haiden Strong with a grounder to second. Then, in the seventh, Tate Jonas led off with a triple and came in on Bo Jonas’s base knock.

Carter Strong pitched a quick 1-2-3 seventh to secure the victory. Calm and composed throughout the game, Strong let his emotions fly after recording the final out.

“I wouldn’t rather be doing this with any other group of guys,” he said. “These guys are my best friends. It’s a real blessing to be out here with these guys. I’m just really happy for that.”

Bo Jonas led Warren with three hits while Lipscomb and Tate Jonas had two apiece. The Warriors had eight total hits in the game. Catcher Will Carte didn’t have a hit but had two sacrifice bunts and threw out a would-be base-stealer on defense.

“They deserve this,” Porter said. “They deserve the opportunity to play in tomorrow night’s game. The thought in my mind right now is just how proud I am of them.”

Warren’s Braylen Murray, right, dives back to first base as Hillsboro’s Brady Juillerat fields a pickoff throw during Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Jack Cornele had two of Hillsboro’s three hits in the game.

For the Warriors, either Murray or Tate Jonas will get the nod on the mound against Athens. Warren split with the Bulldogs in the regular season.

“These guys are fun to watch,” Porter said. “They’re young and they’re hungry, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow night.”

At Bob Wren Stadium

Warren players celebrate in the dugout after scoring a run against Hillsboro during Thursday’s district semifinal game at Bob Wren Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Warren 5, Hillsboro 2

W 002 011 1 — 5 11 2

H 000 200 0 — 2 3 1

WP: Carter Strong (7-3) 7 IP, 1 BB, 7 SO

LP: Luke Strong 6 IP, 1 BB, 6 SO

Brady Juillerat 1 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO

Warren (15-14) hitting: Bo Jonas 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Tate Jonas 2-4, 3B, R; Aiden Lipscomb 2-4, 2 Rs; Jayce Hilverding 1-4, 2 RBIs; Braylen Murray 1-4, R, RBI; Haiden Strong 1-2, R; Corey Floyd 1-1

Hillsboro (12-12) hitting: Jack Cornele 2-3, R; Walker Pence 1-3, R

Next game: Warren vs. Athens, 7 p.m. today at Bob Wren Stadium (District Final)