ELKHART — Northridge jumped out to a five-run lead in the first three innings and held off Elkhart Central for a 5-4 victory Thursday, May 23 in the IHSAA Class 4A Elkhart Sectional at Elkhart Memorial’s Charger Field.

In the other game, Warsaw beat Northern Lakes Conference foe Concord 11-0. The Tigers scored five times in the top of the seventh inning.

The semifinals on Saturday will pit No. 4-ranked Penn against Goshen at 10 a.m., followed by Northidge against NLC opponent Warsaw. The championship is slated for 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27.

Penn has won 22 sectional titles, including the past five seasons.

Goshen’s most-recent of 17 sectional crowns came in 2008.

Northridge has seized six sectional trophies — the last in 2015.

With a title in 2010, Warsaw grasped sectional hardware for the 11th time.

Northridge 5, Elkhart Central 4

The Raiders (20-7) edged the Blue Blazers (16-9)  and avenged a 2-1 loss during the regular season.

Northridge scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and four in the third. Central piled all of its runs into the top of the fifth.

“When Central has eight seniors — three of whom of been starting since they were freshmen (Jared Miller, Brycen Sherwood and Jake Shreiner), you knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Raiders coach Andrew Brabender. “They’ve got lots of experience.

“And just like the three (seniors) I have (Ben Becker, Reece Lueking and Logan Pratt), they don’t want that to be the last time they played. It’s never going to be easy.”

Junior right-hander Cam Knepp was the winning pitcher, working five innings and giving up six hits, four runs and two walks with six strikeouts over 85 pitches.

Junior right-hander Davis Enfield picked up the save by hurling the last two innings of no-hit relief. He walked three and fanned five.

“We were confident that with Davis, we were going to be OK,” said Brabender. “(Knepp) pitched great. He just lost a little bit of curveball command and they were sitting on that pitch and hitting fastballs. Against a good team, that’s not a recipe for success. For the first three innings, he was completely dominant.”

Right-hander Miler absorbed the loss for Central after pitching 2 1/3 innings and yielding eight hits, five runs (four earned) with two walks and one strikeout.

Right-hander Shreiner was on the mound for the last 4 2/3 innings and gave up one hit and three walks while striking out five.

Knepp and Pratt had two hits each, Enfield drove in two runs and sophomore Cam Waters scored two runs for the Raiders.

Enfield relieved Knepp to open the sixth.

Senior Zak Dempsey walked but was later pick off — Enfield to third baseman Knepp to sophomore second baseman Jamon Christner — for the second out.

Enfield then whiffed the last batter in the sixth and three of the four he faced in the seventh. Shreiner drew a two-out walk and stole second base and was left there when the game ended.

Northridge eft runners at second and third base during a scoreless fourth.

Central cut the gap to 5-4 with four runs on six hits in the fifth.

Dempsey singled to center for Central’s first hit. Junior Alex Rasler then doubled to left Dempsey scored on Senior Nick Perry’s groundout and Rasler trotted home on Miller’s single to left.

Sherwood singled to right. Shreiner dropped a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases.

Senior Patrick Yeakey cracked a two-run single to right to drive in Miller and Sherwood.

“We could have went down and layed an egg and went down and not tried,” said Central coach Steve Stutsman. “But we came back and had our chances. “I’m real proud of this team for doing that. Life’s going to knock you down sometimes, it’s how you react to it.”

Northridge tallied four runs in the third for a 5-0 lead.

Junior Drew Gayler smacked a lead-off double to left and scored from second base on an errant pick-off throw.

Waters then drew a walk and Knepp lined a single off pitcher Miller’ throat.

Junior Nick Logan’s sacrifice run moved both runners up.

Enfield lashed a first-pitch two-run single to left, plating Waters and Knepp.

Pratt singled to center off Miller, who then lifted by Shreiner with two outs, Enfield scored from third on a passed ball.

The Northridge second ended with a runner at third base and a double play — shortstop Sherwood to first baseman Dempsey.

Pratt led off the frame with a single to center, advanced to second base on Becker’s sacrifice bunt and moved to third base on junior Hayden Nickell’s one-out single to left.

Northridge scored the game’s first run when Logan socked a two-out RBI double.

Waters rapped a one-out single to left and trotted home on Logan’s two-bagger down the right field line.

Warsaw 11, Concord 0

The Tigers (11-14) blanked the Minutemen (2-22).

Junior right-hander Noah Burgh was the winning pitcher with two walks and six strikeouts and giving up two hits, working six innings and 89 pitches. Senior left-hander Drew McDougle took the loss.

Warsaw, in its first season led by coach Andy Manes, scored five runs in the seventh for an 11-0 advantage.

The Tigers had five three hits and benefited from two errors.

Warsaw tallied two runs in the sixth for a 6-0 lead.

Burgh singled to left and later scored on junior Jacob Hutcherson’s one-out single to left.

Hutcherson scored on an error. Sophomore Joey Springer reached on an error and scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Tigers went up 4-0 with one run in the fifth.

Sophomore Nico Luna led off with a single to left, moved to second on an error, third base on freshman Lukas Maier’s sacrifice bunt and scored on senior Liam Patton’s sacrifice fly to center.

Concord, coached by Pat Doherty, left a runner at third base during a score-free fourth.

Senior Tyler Castillo reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second base on a groundout and third base on a wild pitch.

Warsaw broke up a no-hitter and a shutout and took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the fourth inning.

Maier drew a lead-off walk to break up McDougle’s perfect game. After stealing second base, Maier was caught trying to swipe third base —sophomore catcher Griffin Swartout to sophomore third baseman Bryson Schrock.

Patton rapped the first hit — a double to left field. He moved to third base on senior Ian Glogovsky’s fly-out a and scored on Burgh’s infield hit toward first base.

Senior Matt Shoemaker reached base on a dropped third strike and stole second base.

Burgh and Shoemaker both scored when Springer launched a fly that turned into a three-base error.

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