Bourbon High School baseball team’s spring season has gotten off to a slow start. The Warhawks are 0-3 after taking mercy rule losses in their March 20 season opener in Bismarck and on March 23 against Dixon before falling in a close game on March 25 to Plato.

Bourbon is coming off a solid 5-4 record in the fall baseball season and will look to ascend this spring as the season progresses under longtime head coach Danny Payne. 

The Warhawks will play in Kingston on April 1 before hosting Richland the following day for its home opener. Bourbon’s heavy early-season road schedule will continue after hosting Richland, as the Warhawks will play three straight games in Stoutland on April 6, Belle on April 9 and Viburnum on April 13 before returning home on April 14 to play Steelville. 

March 20 vs. Bismarck

The Warhawks began their season in a road matchup against the Bismarck Indians. Bourbon senior Ian Mueller got the start on the mound and struck out the first three batters that he faced. The Warhawks took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a double from senior Chace Perschbacher that scored sophomore Chace Bouse. That would be the only run that Bourbon would score, as the Indians rattled off 11 runs in the final three Indians to win 11-1 by mercy rule in five innings. 

Mueller went on to strike out 10 batters on 94 pitchers. Anson Hormann came on in relief and threw 31 pitches before Dawson King finished the final inning with five pitches. Hormann and sophomore catcher Emmett Jones each had one hit at the plate and Perchbacher finished with Bourbon’s first multi-hit game of the year. Bouse and King each walked as the Warhawks’ only other baserunners. Bismarck senior Chadrick Dickey blasted a home run in the fourth inning to lead the Indians.

March 23 vs. Dixon

Bourbon returned to the road and traveled to Stoutland to compete in the Stoutland Fall Classic. The Warhawks were matched up against the Dixon Bulldogs in the first round of the tournament, who quickly jumped out in front of the Blue and White. The Bulldogs scored three runs in each of the first two innings and never looked back. Dixon added four more runs in the next few innings and coasted to a 10-0 victory in five innings. 

The Warhawks first three batters reached base, but the rest of the lineup wasn’t able to advance any of them across the plate. Those ended up being Bourbon’s only base runners and Hormann and Jones each walked and Perchbacher provided the only base hit. 

Hormann started on the mound and threw 37 pitches before Payne went to his bullpen. Sophomore Garrett Wallis came in and hurled 39 pitchers before King finished the game with a 32 pitch effort on the mound.   

March 25 vs. Plato

The Warhawks made the journey back to Stoutland to take on the Plato Eagles in the second round of the Stoutland Fall Classic. Bourbon played its closest game thus far in the young season, but were stifled offensively, and eventually fell 5-2. 

Mueller took the mound and looked the part of an ace, striking out 12 Eagles on an efficient 87 pitches. Perschbacher collected two hits and scored a run and Jones also added two hits including a run scoring double. King reached base twice on a single and a walk and Wallis and Tariq Moore each singled to round out the Warhawk’s offensive production.