CENTRAL, CHAFFEE KICK OFF NEW SEASON WITH A BANG

CHAFFEE -- It may have been both teams' first game, but Cape Girardeau Central and Chaffee were each in mid-season form Wednesday.

In a sharply played high school baseball game, the Tigers defeated the host Red Devils 7-4 in eight innings at Harmon Field.

Both teams flaunted stellar pitching and solid defense as the game was tied 1-1 after seven innings.

Chaffee ace Matt Stroup was lifted after throwing about 90 pitches, and Central tagged reliever Tommy Stidham for six runs on four hits in the eighth for the win.

"For the first game of the year, I was very pleased," said Central coach Steve Williams. "We had one error and I was tickled to death with our pitching."

The Red Devils finally broke out of an offensive slump in the eighth as well, but their three runs were too little, too late.

The story for both teams, though, was pitching.

Central starter Justin Welker pitched four-plus innings of no-hit ball, allowing just one run on a wild pitch. He walked four and struck out two. The right-hander overpowered Chaffee's lineup, inducing several weak pop-ups. Only one ball reached the outfield against Welker.

"One of my assistant coaches said 'You can't take him out with a no hitter'," said Williams. "But on March 22 in the first game of the year you can. Justin did a great job. He went four innings which is what we wanted him to do."

Justin Cook, who got the win, came on in relief and carried Welker's no-hitter until the seventh inning, when Travis Hanback singled to right field. Through seven innings, Cook and Welker combined for a one-hitter.

Cook, in four innings of work, allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. He fanned three.

For Chaffee, Stroup threw a gem.

In seven innings, the junior right-hander, who is considered one of the top three or four pitchers in the area, gave up one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out five.

"I wish we could've found a way to squeeze in one more run," said Chaffee coach Brian Horrell. "He pitched a great game."

"We certainly didn't knock him out of the game," Williams said. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We saw Matt over the summer (in junior legion) and knew he'd be tough."

In the decisive eighth inning, Rob Carr -- who was inserted into the game in the fifth inning -- led off with a double in the left field gap. Zac Fidler followed with a walk, then Mark Fisher drove a two-run double to right to give Central a 3-1 lead. Richard Harrison later spanked a two-run double and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Chris Barrows singled home Fisher in the fourth inning for the Tigers' first run.

For Chaffee, the Red Devils got a run without a hit in the third when Shawn Powderly walked and reached third on two ground outs. He scored on a wild pitch.

Stroup had an RBI double and Hanback provided a two-run single in the eighth. Hanback was the only player for Chaffee with two hits.

Harrison and Fisher each had two hits for Cape Central.

Both teams committed one error.

The best defensive play of the game came in the fourth when Chaffee center fielder Jeremy Lynn made a diving catch to his left to rob Welker of an extra-base hit and the Tigers of at least one run.