Central's dedication day ends in a celebration way

With only three games left before the district playoffs begin, Central's baseball team has finally started to put things together.

The Tigers celebrated the dedication of their new field along with senior day by defeating Hillsboro 4-3 Monday afternoon. It was the Tigers' third straight victory.

For the fourth straight game, Central (8-12-1) played solid defense, committing only one error. Over the four-game span, the Tigers have committed just twoerrors.

"I can't say enough about our kids," Central coach Steve Williams said. "All of the sudden they're playing with confidence."

Central's seniors got the Tigers day off to a good start. After Central's first two batters were retired in the bottom of the first, seniors Patrick Slattery, Tony Leuckel and Jason Umfleet all reached base safely. Fellow senior Mark Dunaway followed with a two-run single for a 2-0 lead.

Williams said the fast start was critical.

"That's the whole thing," he said. "It's just always better to play with the lead."

The Hawks stranded runners in scoring position the first two inning, but in the third Central starter Brad LaBruyere could not escape trouble. Hillsboro put its first two runners on with a walk and hit batsman. Elmer Cothern then laid down a sacrifice bunt that went by Central third baseman Brandon Cooper, who was attempting to let it go foul. The bunt ended up going into the outfield and scored a run.

Rain delayed the game briefly after the bunt, but when play resumed LaBruyere got back to form. Hillsboro was only able to plate one more runner in the inning, which tied the score 2-2.

"Brad, he battles," Williams said. "That's the thing about him, he's not going to give in. His nickname is the Bulldog."

Central briefly took the lead in the fourth, but Hillsboro scored a run in the fifth to tie the score at three.

The deadlock didn't last long. In the bottom of the fifth, Central senior Sean Bard blasted a two-out solo home run over the right-field wall for the game-winning run.

Williams wasn't surprised to see his seniors step up with the big hits.

"That's what we expect out of them, we expect nothing less," he said.

Hillsboro put a runner on in the seventh, but center-fielder Dunaway caught a line drive and threw the runner out at first to end the game. LaBruyere, only a freshman, struck out nine and allowed seven hits to pick up his third win. Slattery finished 2-for-3 for the Tigers.