The Jeremy Thompson era as new baseball coach for the Central Tigers saw his team begin the season at 2-1 last week, with a 9-1 win at Stilwell on March 3 and an 11-3 victory over Chouteau-Mazie on Friday at home.
The lone blemish was an 11-0 home loss Thursday to Checotah after the Porum home game was rained out on March 4.
In the win over Stilwell, the Tigers scored single runs in each of the first two innings, then scored three runs in the third inning for a 5-0 lead. After the Indians scored their lone run in the third inning to make it 5-1, Central scored once in the fourth inning and twice in the seventh inning.
For the game, Aidan Sainer was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and a run batted in, Waylen Campbell was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Paitton Merrill was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Kyle Harden was 2-for-4 with a run scored for Central.
Campbell (1-0) got the win, going the first 3.2 innings with five strikeouts. Hardy Buzzard went the final 2.2 innings with two Ks.
In the victory over Chouteau-Mazie, the Tigers jumped out to a 3-1 lead after an inning and 5-1 after two innings. After the Wildcats cut their deficit to 5-3 after three innings, the Tigers put the game into run-rule status with a six-run fourth inning.
For the game, Ryker Miller was 3-for-3 with two doubles, three runs batted inane two runs scored, Sainer was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Harden was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, Buzzard doubled with two runs scored and an RBI, Merrill doubled with an RBI and a run scored and Campbell tripled with an RBI and a run scored.
Kiefer Bailey (1-0) got the win, going all five innings with six strikeouts.
In the loss to Checotah, the Tigers got nohit by Checotah pitcher Charles Collins, who struck out nine Central batters in five innings.
The ’Cats broke a scoreless tie with a fourrun fourth inning. A seven-run fifth inning put the game into runrule status.
Buzzard (0-1) took the loss, lasting 2.2 innings with two strikeouts. Miller went the next 1.1 innings with a strikeout, while Harden went the final inning with a strikeout.
