Central opens with win

Central's pitchers handcuffed Chaffee's hitters, and the Tigers took advantage of a pair of Chaffee errors to win their season opener 8-0 Wednesday at Chaffee.

Chaffee (0-2) had only one runner reach third base against a trio of Tigers pitchers. Jake Welch, Jason Umfleet and Mark Dunaway combined for the four-hit shutout. Welch picked up the win. In four innings, Welch allowed three hits, four walks and struck out five.

"Our pitchers were good, and on defense we made the plays we needed to make," Central coach Steve Williams said.

Central found all the offense it needed in the top of the first. After the first two batters were retired, Dunaway started a two-out rally with a triple. Dunaway scored when Patrick Slattery hit a flyball which was dropped by the outfielder. Two batters later Tony Leuckel picked up a two-run double to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Williams said those early two-out RBI hits were key.

"That helps a lot when you pick them up, and don't just leave them out there," he said.

Chaffee's offense had its chances but could not crack the scoring column. Unlike the season-opening loss to Advance, a game in which Chaffee fanned 15 times, the Red Devils stranded two runners each in three of the first four innings. Welch was able to make the big pitch when he needed it.

"We're going to have to get the hitting going," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "I did think we swung the bats a lot better today."

Central picked up another run in the second inning, and then put the game away with a three-run fifth. Slattery knocked in Tyler Blackwell to chase pitcher Alex Orr from the game, and the Tigers scored two more off an errant pickoff attempt at second base.

"I thought our freshman played very well today," Horrell said of Orr, who allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. "I thought he did a tremendous job taking the ball for his first career start."

Leuckel and Scott Brueckner had two hits apiece for the Tigers.