Central wins district title, advances to Class 2A Regional Tournament

WARNER — The Central Tigers baseball team won the Class 2A District Tournament on Thursday, defeating the host Warner Eagles 12-7 in Thursday’s winner-take-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 this morning in the Class 2A Regional Tournament in Calera. The Central-Calera winner will play the Christian Heritage Coalgate winner at 4 this afternoon with that winner advancing to the regional final at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The Central-Calera loser will meet the Christian Heritage Coalgate loser at 6:30 tonight, with the winner advancing to the loser’sbracket final at 4 p.m. Thursday while the loser will be eliminated from the playoffs.

The if-game for the regional title is slated for 2 p.m. Friday. The regional champion will advance to next week’s Class 2A State Tournament.

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 fourrun 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 one-out 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 fourhitter.

For the game, Tucker was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Central.

ROLAND 2, BEGGS 1

SALINA 7, ROLAND 0

ROLAND 14, BEGGS 6, 6 INN.

SALINA 10, ROLAND 0, 6 INN.

At the Class 3A Regional Tournament, the Rangers, who finished the spring at 13-15, saw their season end in a 10-0 sixinning regional title game loss to Salina on Friday in Beggs, which ended up being Friday’s site after rain forced action to be moved from the original regional site of Salina.

The Rangers reached Friday afternoon’s regional final with a 14-6 victory over host Beggs in the loser’s-bracket final.

The Rangers split their first two games of the regional tournament on Thursday in Salina, edging Beggs 2-1 before losing to Salina 7-0.

In the season-ending loss to Salina in the regional finals, the Wildcats scored twice in the first inning, three runs in the third inning, a single run in the fourth inning and twice in the fifth inning for an 8-0 lead. A two-run sixth inning put the game into run-rule status.

In defeat, Paden Pitts and Arkansas signee Carson Wiggins each singled for the only hits off Salina pitcher Maverick Williamson, who fanned 11 batters in six innings.

Colton Peters (0-2) took the loss, going the first five innings. Pitts got the last out.

In the loser’s-bracket final victory over Beggs, after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Rangers scored five runs in the first inning and twice in the second inning for a 7-2 lead. A six-run sixth inning put the game into run-rule status.

For the contest, Alex Brant was 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and a run batted in, Colton Peters was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored and Raesean Perryman tripled with two RBIs and a run scored for Roland.

Brant (5-4) got the complete-game win, going all seven innings with four strikeouts.

In the winner’s-bracket final loss to Salina, the ’Cats got a complete game victory by pitcher Connor Johnson, who fanned 17 batters in seven innings and threw a one-hitter, with that hit being a single by Colton Peters.

Ashton Peters (2-4) took the loss, going the first 5.2 innings with six strikeouts. Colton Peters went the final 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.

In the regional opener against Beggs, Wiggins hit a one-out, walk-off two-run home run for the win after the Golden Demons scored their run in the third inning.

Brant got the win in relief, pitching a scoreless seventh inning. In his final pitching performance for the Rangers, Wiggins went six innings with 17 Ks and allowed just a hit.

For the game, Wiggins was 2-for-3 with the game-winning, walk-off two-run homer.