The Central Tigers baseball team finished sixth at last weekend’s Ketchum Hardball Classic.
The Tigers opened pool play last Wednesday with a 10-2 win over the Miami Wardogs junior varsity, but then lost 13-5 to the Adair Warriors on Thursday and 6-2 to the Sequoyah-Claremore Eagles on Friday. In Saturday’s fifth-place game, the Tigers fell 6-5 to the Miami Wardogs varsity.
Spring Break Week started March 18 by splitting their three-way games at Muldrow, beating the host Bulldogs 3-2 but losing 11-2 to the Vian Wolverines.
In last Wednesday’s win over the Miami JV, the Tigers (3-7) scored once in the first inning, six runs in the second inning and once in the third for an 8-0 lead after three innings. A single run in the fifth inning put the game into run-rule status.
For the contest, Connor Walters was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in, Bo Locust doubled with two RBIs and a run scored and Mekko Ariza doubled and scored twice for Central.
Ryker Miller (1-1) got his first win of the season, pitching a complete five-inning game with five strikeouts and scattering three hits.
In Thursday’s loss to Adair, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers cut their deficit to 2-1 in their half of the inning on Cade Tucker’s sacrifice fly, scoring Walters. However, that was as close as Central got as Adair scored three runs in the second inning, twice in the fourth inning and once in the fifth inning for an 8-1 lead. The Warriors put the game into run-rule status with a five-run sixth inning.
In defeat, Walters was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, Aiden Sainer was 2-for-4 and Paitton Merrill was 2-for-2 with a run scored for Central.
Walters (1-2) suffered his first loss of the season, going the first two innings with two strikeouts. Hardy Buzzard went the next three innings, then Waylen Campbell got the next two outs, one of which by strikeout, before Sainer got the final out.
In Friday’s loss to Sequoyah-Claremore, the Eagles scored twice in the first innings and once in the third inning for a 3-0 lead. The Tigers cut the deficit to 3-1 on Locust’s RBI double in the fourth inning but got no closer as they once more cut their deficit to three runs at 5-2 in the sixth inning on Sainer’s RBI groundout.
In defeat, Locust hit an RBI double, Walters doubled and scored once and Tucker singled and scored once for Central.
Campbell (0-2) took the loss, going the first two innings with two strikeouts. Tucker went the next 1.1 innings, then Buzzard got the final two outs, one of which came by strikeout.
In the fifth-place game, the Wardogs walked off the Tigers with a three-run sixth inning in a game called due to the time limit.
In defeat, Sainer singled with two runs scored and an RBI, Walters singled with an RBI, Buzzard singled and scored once and Kyle Harden singled with an RBI and a run scored for Central.
Walters was the hardluck loser as he pitched 5.2 innings with three strikeouts, but only allowed two earned runs as the other four Miami runs were unearned due to three Central errors.
In Central’s win over Muldrow, the Tigers snatched the win from the jaws of defeat with a two-run fifth inning.
For the game, Connor Green was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, Walters was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored and Locust was 2-for-3 for Central.
Buzzard (1-0) got his first win of the season, going the first 4.1 innings with five strikeouts. Miller got the save, getting the final two outs, one of which was by strikeout.
In Central’s loss to Vian, the Wolverines rallied from a 4-1 second-inning deficit with a five-run second inning and a two-run third inning for an 8-4 lead after three innings.
The Tigers scored twice in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 8-6 but got no closer.
In defeat, Walters was 2-for-2 with two homers and three RBIs, Tucker was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Locust doubled for Central.
Locust (0-2) took the loss, going 1.2 innings with two strikeouts. Campbell went the next inning, then Walters went the final 1.1 innings with a strikeout.
The Tigers were slated to return to action Tuesday afternoon at Vian before ending the week at the Inola Haytown CLassic where they will meet Miami at 1 p.m. Thursday and finish up Saturday with a noon game against Catoosa and a 2 p.m. game against Verdigris.
