WARNER — The Central Tigers baseball team won the Class 2A District Tournament on Thursday, defeating the host Warner Eagles 12-7 in Thursday’s winnertake-all final. The two teams split Wednesday’s games, with Central taking the nightcap 6-4 after losing the opener 2-1.
The Tigers (16-15) will meet the host Calera Bulldogs at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Class 2A Regional Tournament in Calera. The Central-Calera winner will play the Christian Heritage-Coalgate winner at 4 p.m. Thursday with that winner advancing to the regional final at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The Central-Calera loser will meet the Christian Heritage-Coalgate loser at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with the winner advancing to the loser’s-bracket final at 4 p.m. Friday while the loser will be eliminated from the playoffs.
The if-game for the regional title is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday. The regional champion will advance to next week’s Class 2A State Tournament.
The Tigers had their home game against Inola on April 22 canceled.
In the winner-take-all district title game, the Tigers rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a five-run second inning to take the lead for good at 5-2 after two innings.
After the Eagles cut their deficit to 5-3 in the third inning, the Tigers scored twice in the third inning and once in the fifth inning to up their lead to 8-3. A four-run sixth inning sealed the deal.
For the game, Hardy Buzzard was 3-for-3 with a double and three runs scored, Connor Walters was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored, Cade Tucker was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Paitton Merrill was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs for Central.
Buzzard got the win, going the first six innings with a strikeout. Waylen Campbell got the last three outs of the game.
In the loss to Warner, the Eagles scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings for a 2-0 lead.
Walters hit a oneout solo home run in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Warner pitcher Jace Jackson retired the next two batters to end the threat — and the game.
In defeat, Walters was 2-for-4 with a solo homer, Buzzard was 2-for-3 and Aiden Sainer doubled for Central.
Tucker took the loss, despite striking out seven batters in six innings and scattering five hits.
In the win in Game 2 on Wednesday, the Tigers broke a 4-all tie with a two-run sixth inning, highlighted by an RBI single by Walters, for a 6-4 lead.
Walters got the win, fanning six batters in seven innings and throwing a four-hitter.
