beating Roland 16-2 in five innings on April 29 at the newly-turfed infield at Roland High School’s baseball field one day after winning a 2-1 road game to Stilwell on April 28.
The Tigers had their regular-season finale game at Panama rained out on both Thursday and Friday, and it was slated to be played Monday afternoon.
In the win over Roland, the Tigers (11-15) put away the game early, scoring three runs in the first inning and six runs in the second inning for a 9-0 lead.
After the Rangers cut their deficit to 9-2 after three innings, the Tigers put the game into runrule status with a tworun fourth inning and a five-run fifth inning.
For the contest, Waylen Campbell was 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs batted in and two runs scored, Aidan Sainer was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, Ryker Miller was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs and Paitton Merrill was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored for Central.
Kiefer Bailey (6-3) got the complete-game, five-inning victory, striking out seven batters and scattering five hits.
In the victory over Stilwell, the Tigers rallied from a 1-0 fourthinning deficit with a run in the fifth inning as Hardy Buzzard scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at 1-all, then Central scored the game-winning run on Miller’s RBI double scoring Sainer.
For the game, Miller had the game-winning RBI double, while Sainer and Merrill each singled for Central’s three hits.
Buzzard (1-7) got his first win of the season, going all seven innings with six strikeouts.
The Tigers found out on Friday where they will be going for this week’s Class 2A-II Regional Tournament, and it literally will seem like a working vacation.
The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) sent the Tigers to Mangum along with Haskell and Hobart for Thursday’s regional. The Tigers will meet the Haskell Haymakers at 1:30 p.m. Thursday after regional host Mangum and Hobart play at 11 a.m. Thursday. The two winners will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday in the winners’-bracket final, with the winner playing for the regional title and a trip to state at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Thursday’s losers will play an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with the winner meeting the 4 p.m. Thursday loser in the loser’s-bracket final at 4 p.m. Friday, with the winner meeting the 4 p.m. Thursday winner in the regional championship. The 4 p.m. Friday winner will need to win the 6:30 p.m. Friday game to force the ifgame at 2 p.m. Saturday — and win that game — to make state. The 4 p.m. Thursday winner only will need one win — either at 6:30 p.m. Friday or at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Central pitcher Kiefer Bailey delivers a pitch during the road game at Roland on April 29. Local umpire and Sallisaw assistant basketball coach Jordan Caldwell watches from his position at first base.
