South Warren squeaked out another win over Warren East to take the first District 14 series of the season in another pitchers’ duel.

For the second straight night, the Spartans and Raiders were strongest from the mound, flexing the best of their pitching staffs before depth is truly tested in Game 3 on Thursday.

Tyler Martin earned the win from the mound for South Warren, and his triple off the wall in center field scored the go-ahead run in the Spartans’ 3-1 win at Warren East. Martin’s hit came during a stretch of three hits off Raiders’ ace Ryan Hawks, who allowed six all game.

Hawks made up half the Raiders offense with two hits and drew an intentional walk. His deep double in the bottom of the seventh was the only offense Warren East (5-8 overall, 0-2 District 14) produced in a comeback effort that fell short once again.

Hawks and Martin went the distance a day after Cade Vernon and Brady Dragoo gave up three combined runs in Game 1 of the series.

The Spartans (11-3, 2-0) can earn the sweep Thursday with a likely test of bullpen strength.

“We’re going to have a tough game and I know they have more pitching,” SWHS Chris Gage said regarding the approach to Game 3. “They have some more and we’re going to go deeper into our staff. We have more guys that need to step up and we’re going to need more guys to step up for this third game.”

Sheldon Martin will start Wednesday for Warren East, which lost its fifth straight during an offensive slump.

The Raiders’ pitching staff has done its part keeping games close with the last three games decided by four combined runs.

“We’re leaning on that and defense,” WEHS coach Wes Sanford said. “We’re playing in a lot of close games. Eventually we’re going to get some breaks and put the ball in play. We’re going to find the right lineup and the guys that can consistently put it in play, and until that happens, we’re going to hold on.

“We’re leaving (pitchers) out to dry really bad right now and they’re giving us everything they’ve got.”

Hawks finished with seven strikeouts and one walk. He kept the Raiders in it for five innings until the Spartans broke through with two runs on three hits to start the sixth.

The Raiders offense, meanwhile, left nine runners on base.

Hawks had four strikeouts before South Warren put a run on the board. AJ Isable’s two-out single scored Caleb Lloyd in the top of the third inning.

Skyler Price tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded single that scored Hawks.

Hawks, the University of Louisville commit, carried his team into the sixth inning before allowing three straight hits. Trent Rice led off the inning with a single and Martin sailed Hawks’ third pitch deep to center field for a triple and the go-ahead run. Martin scored an insurance run when Adam Burns roped a hit into right field.

“(Hawks) is a heck of a pitcher and has all types of stuff,” Martin said. “He’s hard to hit and our guys put it in play tonight and did things they could to get on base and it just worked out.”

The Spartans senior didn’t have his best on the mound, but worked his way through a complete game with eight strikeouts, three walks and three hits on over 100 pitches.

“Little off tonight and my arm is a little sore,” Martin said. “Had to battle through it and finish out. … It’s a good feeling for us, being 2-0 against them. We’re going to try to win as many games in the district without stopping.”{&end}