Warren’s Jayce Hilverding (12) receives a hero’s welcome after hitting the first of his two home runs in the Warriors’ 9-3 win over Parkersburg, Wednesday in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

VINCENT — Similar to the Warren baseball team staying the course following an extremely slow start to the season, Warrior first baseman Jayce Hilverding is on an upward trend just at the right time.

Wednesday at Warren High School, Hilverding hit a two-run home run as part of a five-run first inning then capped off the afternoon with a three-run blast on the same plane over the blue monster in left field as the Warriors defeated Parkersburg 9-3.

After starting the season 1-7, Warren improved to 10-11 with its fifth straight win.

“The guys are starting to believe,” said Warren coach Chad Porter, who started three juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. “The expectation with this group is that every time we step foot on the field, we expect to do this. That is what got these guys to start believing and doing what we believe they can do.”

Hilverding finished 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBIs and teammate Braylen Murray turned in a one-hit performance over five innings of relief to earn the win.

Warren sophomore Braylen Murray delivers a pitch during his five innings of relief against Parkersburg, Wednesday in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“We have been waiting for that out of Jayce for three years,” Porter said. “He is finally doing what we believe he could do. More importantly, he believes he is capable of doing it.”

After scoring an unearned run in the top of the first inning, Parkersburg’s defense imploded for four errors as Warren sent 10 batters to the plate and took the lead for good at 5-1.

“The guys weren’t ready when the game started,” PHS coach Alan Burns said after his ballclub slipped to 13-12. “We were making mental mistakes, physical mistakes. The game was won and lost in that inning. I haven’t seen that out of our team this season.

“That’s two games in a row we haven’t played well. We have to get refocused as a team, as a coaching staff and get things going again.”

Against PHS, Warren’s gameplan from the start was to start Haiden Strong on the mound then change the pace with Murray — a sophomore lefty. Strong allowed one unearned run in the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, Strong walked the first two batters in the third inning.

Warren first baseman Jayce Hilverding tries to hold on a ball off a short hop as Chas Elam eventually reaches safely during the first inning of Wednesday’s game in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Murray then changed positions after starting in center field and took over in relief a bit sooner than first anticipated. He responded by retiring the first eight, and 11 of the first 12 batters he faced. PHS failed to take advantage of the two runners in the third inning.

The Big Reds touched up Murray for a single run in both the sixth and seventh innings, but by that point he had a 9-1 cushion to work with. He finished with four strikeouts.

“We went to Braylen a little early, but the plan was to go to him at some point,” Porter said. “We got out of that third inning with no runs — that was a huge boost confidence-wise.”

PHS starter Connor Elkins deserved a better fate after his defense let him down in the first inning. Over the next three scoreless innings, he allowed just two hits.

Warren then found the gaps in the fifth inning — tacking on four runs for a 9-1 lead. After the first batter was retired, the bottom third of the lineup — Cody Eding, Will Carter and Carter Strong — recorded consecutive singles.

Parkersburg starting pitcher Connor Elkins delivers a pitch against Warren, Wednesday in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

With the bases loaded, the lineup turned over and Murray drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. As the No. 2 hitter, Hilverding took another slider out of the yard for a three-run home run.

“I was sitting on a fastball, but he threw me a slider — based on my reaction, I knew,” Hilverding said. “Today, I was seeing the ball. That second homer, I was blacked out.”

As one of the elder statesmen in the lineup, Hilverding said a teammates’ grade in school is irrelevant. One reason why Warren is having success in the latter half of the season.

“If you can play, you can play,” Hilverding added. “We knew we had a good team. We just had to put it all together.”

At Warren High School

Warren’s baseball team gathers for a pre-game huddle prior to Wednesday’s game against Parkersburg in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Warren 9, Parkersburg 3

PHS 100 001 1 – 3 4 4

Warren 500 004 x – 9 9 2

WP: Braylen Murphy 5.0IP 1H 2R 2BB 4SO

Haiden Strong (starter) 2.0IP 3H 1R 2BB 2SO

Parkersburg’s baseball team gathers for a pre-game huddle prior to Wednesday’s game against Warren in Vincent. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

LP: Connor Elkins 4.2IP 9H 9R 3BB 0SO

Landon Allman 1.1IIP 0H 0R 0BB 0SO

Leading hitters

Parkersburg (13-12): Gavin Fling 1-4; Parker Woods 1-2, run, 2 BBs, SB; Chaz Elam run; Connor Elkins 1-3, RBI; Tyler Cameron 1-4, RBI, RBI, SB; Jaxon Myers SB; Evan Schultheis RBI

Warren: (10-11): Braylen Murray run, RBI; Jayce Hilverding 3-4, 2 runs, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs; Tate Jonas 1-4, run; Haiden Strong 1-3, run; Aiden Lipscomb run; Saben Jonas 2 BBs; Cody Eding 2-4, run, 2B; Will Carte 1-3, run, RBI; Corey Floyd 1-1, run

Next game: Warren at Logan, 5 p.m. Thursday; St. Albans at Parkersburg, 5 p.m. Thursday