Photos by Joshua Lindsey/Daily News Bowling Green's Clay Stivers (right) high-fives teammates Monday after hitting a home run against Warren Central at Bowling Green High School. Bowling Green won 5-2. Below: Bowling Green's Logan Paris is forced out at home plate by Warren Central catcher Logan Bell.

Bowling Green’s Clay Stivers knew the Purples would likely need some more run support Monday against Warren Central.

The senior first baseman provided that boost with a two-run home run, helping BG beat the Dragons 5-2 and lock up District 14’s No. 1 seed in the process.

“We needed a good start to get on top, so we didn’t have to fight from behind,” Stivers said. “We had to get on the board first and hold them to it.”

The homer was Stivers’ first of the season. The basketball standout, who will sign today with Brescia for hoops, had one RBI in his last seven games before Monday’s two-run blast.

That home run gave Bowling Green a 4-0 cushion, which it needed once Warren Central tacked on two runs over the final two innings.

“I knew we needed the runs, because we’ve had trouble in the past holding on to leads,” Stivers said. “It was good to get on them first, because as you saw at the end, they started coming back a little bit.”

The Purples host Apollo at 6 p.m. Friday and will play either Warren East or Warren Central at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the District 14 Tournament.

— Zach Greenwell