File photo – Allen Kane now has an NCS-leading 10 doubles this season after hitting two more on Tuesday.

The Hoopa Warriors took a big step towards securing third place in this year’s Little 4 and the conference’s final spot in next month’s Charles Lakin tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors welcomed South Fork to Hoopa and started fast, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning on the way to a 9-6 win.

And they did it short-handed, with three players missing for various reasons, following a recent season-ending injury to catcher Cher-geesh Mace.

Senior Brandon Romero got the win on the mound and also had a triple, with junior teammate Allen Kane hitting two more doubles and getting the save.

“Brandon Romero and Allen Kane is an amazing duo at the plate,” Hoopa head coach Aaron Williams said. “When they get on base, plan on them scoring.”

Romero threw six innings and allowed just four hits and a walk and struck out eight, as the Warriors improved to 2-5 in the Little 4 and 9-7 overall.

Kane pitched the final inning and held the visitors scoreless while striking out two.

The hard-hitting junior also was 3-for-4 and he now has 10 doubles on the season, twice as many as anyone else on the team and is tied for the lead in the North Coast Section.

Cody Wheeler pitched all seven innings for the Cubs (1-6, 5-10) and “got stronger as the game went on,” according to South Fork head coach Alex Finn.

“For not pitching a whole lot this season, he really showed a lot of character and had to battle through some tough situations,” Finn said of Wheeler.

Trailing by six heading into the third inning, the Cubs rallied with five runs to pull within one.

But the home team was able to hold on down the stretch after adding three insurance runs in the third and fourth innings.

File photo

“Brandon Romero pitched a great game for Hoopa, mixing up pitches to keep us guessing and off balance in the box for most of the game,” Finn said.

Barret Myers and Tristan Billings each also had two hits for Hoopa, including a double by the latter, while Lyle McKinnon and Carlos Anzora rounding out a 10-hit team, performance with one each.

“Guys stepped up to the challenge from the bench and made some noise at the plate,” Williams said afterwards. “Tristan Billings was huge today at the plate.”

John Stafslien continued his hot streak at the plate for South Fork and was 2-for-3 with a double, while Travis “T-Bone” Way is “starting to see the ball well as of late,” according to Finn, and was 2-for-3 with a double.

Wheeler also had a hit and a walk for the visitors, while Bodhi Howes and Shawn Schmidt each had a bunt single, with Schmidt driving in a run and Howes adding two stolen bases.

Mason Bell also as 1-for-3 and “continues to hit the ball exceptionally well for a freshman,” the South Fork coach added.

Finn also had words of praise for the job Williams has done at Hoopa, as the Warriors are enjoying their most successful season in well over a decade.

“Hoopa is hitting the ball more consistently than I’ve seen in all my years, both in coaching and as a player,” he said. “Aaron Williams has taken a well-rounded squad to new heights.”

Finn also pried the contribution of his assistant coach Andrew Jacobsen, who “continues to show up for the kids consistently, while being a voice and presence on the field.”

The two schools will play each other again in Miranda on Thursday afternoon with first pitch set for 4 p.m.