Brett Beckham couldn’t save his body Thursday, but he still managed to save the game for host Warren East against District 14 rival Warren Central.

Beckham, a senior right-hander on in relief in the top of the seventh inning, took a wicked line drive off his his leg but still managed to make the play for a crucial out to help preserve the Raiders’ 8-7 victory at Hobson Grove Park.

Warren Central (5-8 overall, 2-4 District 14) showed no quit despite entering the seventh down three runs. With two on and no outs, the Dragons’ JM Lyle ripped a comebacker that knocked Beckham to the ground. But the Warren East closer recovered in time to throw the ball to first for the out.

After a few minutes of warmups, Beckham stayed in to try and finish the game. Warren Central’s Logan Bell tallied an RBI groundout and Josh Floyd followed with an RBI single up to center field before Beckham finished the job by inducing another comebacker – this one much slower – off the bat of Ontario Graham for the final out.

Raiders coach Wes Sanford said Beckham probably will be limping, at least, on Friday.

“That was absolutely huge,” Sanford said of Beckham’s heads-up play. “I’m glad he stuck with it. I’m sad that he was hurt, but I’m glad that he was able to come back.”

Warren East (10-3, 3-0) completed a three-game sweep of the Dragons despite being outhit 9-7.

The Raiders did much of their damage early, unleashing a five-run rally highlighted by freshman designated hitter Ryan Hawks’ two-run double in the bottom of the first inning to erase Warren Central’s two-run lead.

“I hadn’t been able to hit a curveball all year long, and I got one right down the middle,” Hawks said. “I just choked up on the bat and hit it where it was pitched.”

The Raiders lengthened their lead on an RBI single by Jonathan Biggs in the second inning and got two more runs – both unearned – in the bottom of the third to negate Warren Central’s two-run rally in the top of the inning.

Bell, the Dragons’ senior catcher whose two-run single in the first gave his team its only lead, drove in another run in the fifth on a groundout.

Bell’s four-RBI day was just one of several productive offensive efforts by the Dragons – Noah Thornberry was 3-for-3 and scored four runs, and Floyd added two hits – but six Warren Central errors proved too much to overcome.

“What I told my guys is that communication on the baseball field is one of the key ways to victory, and that’s something that should be routine,” Dragons coach Adam Biller said. “We had a lot of guys who weren’t talking on a play and it cost us.”

Hawks and Zach White had two hits apiece to pace the Raiders, who return to action Saturday at Breckinridge County for a noon game.

“We just kept battling at the plate,” Sanford said. “We did a really good job today. I was really happy with our approach. We did a good job of putting the ball in play. They made some errors and we took advantage of it.”

Warren Central plays again Friday at Butler County.

Warren Central 202 010 2 – 7 9 6

Warren East 512 000 x – 8 7 1

WP – Basham. LP – Burgett. SV – Beckham.

— Follow Sports Editor Jeff Nations on Twitter @Jeff_NationsBG or visit bgdailynews.com.