Suspensions catch up with Central in defeat

~ Central's Propst allowed just five hits, but the Tigers lost 2-1 to Farmington.

Prior to the Class 4 District 1 semifinal baseball game at Central on Tuesday, Tigers coach Terry Kitchen told junior starting pitcher Tyler Propst he'd have to pitch the game of his life.

And that's exactly what Propst did.

Unfortunately for top-seeded Central, Propst's impressive complete-game outing wasn't enough to make up for the Tigers' lack of offense, and Farmington escaped with a 2-1 victory and a berth in the title game Thursday.

The Knights will take on Seckman in the championship at 3:30 p.m.

Central, which ended one of its most successful seasons in recent years at 20-6, was without head coach Steve Williams and six players due to violations of Missouri State High School Activities Association rules involving a winter camp. The players attended a camp in December where Williams was an instructor, which the school learned on Thursday was a rules violation. The school notified MSHSAA and imposed a two-game suspension on Williams and the players.

Among the six players suspended were the team's top five RBI leaders and three leading pitchers. They would have been eligible to participate in the district championship.

"We have no excuses," said Kitchen, who temporarily replaced Williams as head coach. "Farmington played better than us, and they beat us."

Propst's pitching kept the Tigers in the game. He struck out seven batters and issued no walks. He held Farmington to five hits, one less than Central.

"Our strategy was to stay close and try to get a late run, and Tyler did everything he could," Kitchen said. "He couldn't have pitched better for us.

But Central's offense struggled to get anything going after the first inning.

Eric Ennis singled and stole second base before scoring on Tyler Bruce's single to give Central a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first frame.

Farmington knotted the score with a run in the second before the two teams went scoreless for the next three innings.

Central threatened to regain the lead in the fourth. Bruce doubled and Kory Kitchen walked to lead off the inning, but Garrett Stevens struck out and Frank Soltys grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Farmington used an infield error by Central to score the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth. The Knights' leadoff batter reached second on the error. After a bunt single put runners at the corners with no outs, a sacrifice fly brought home the winning run.

Central left a runner stranded at second in the sixth before going down in order in the seventh.

"Naturally, when you lose your top five hitters, it's a big factor," said Kitchen, who led his teams to four final four appearances in his 13 years as Central's head coach. "I'm so proud of these ballplayers, though. The team effort today was a coach's dream.

"Whether those [suspended] players are here or not, our expectations are still high if you're going to wear a Tigers uniform."

Central, which got two hits apiece from Ennis and Bruce, has not won a baseball district title since 2000.

Said Kitchen: "I'll say this: We'll be back."

Seckman 4, Jackson 3

In the other semifinal, Jackson could not overcome six errors and fell 4-3 in eight innings to No. 2 Seckman.

Geoff Enders scattered seven hits over seven innings to keep the Indians in the game. Enders struck out one, intentionally walked two and allowed two earned runs.

Luke Crader led No. 3 Jackson (13-10) with three hits and two RBIs.

Cameron Heath allowed three hits in the eighth and took the loss.

FARMINGTON 2, CENTRAL 1

Farmington 010 001 0 -- 2 5 1 Central 100 000 0 -- 1 6 3

WP -- Brent Baxley. LP -- Tyler Propst. 2B - Tyler Bruce (C), Matt Usherwood (F). Multiple hits - Central, Bruce 2-3, Eric Ennis 2-3. Records - Central 20-6.

Seckman 4, Jackson 3, 8 innings

Jackson 003 000 00 -- 3 6 6

Seckman 000 101 11 -- 4 10 4

WP -- Romo. LP -- Cameron Heath. 2B -- Heath (J), Bilbrey (S). 3B -- Luke Crader (J). Multiple hits -- Jackson, Crader 3-4; Seckman, Otto 2-3; Schiller 2-4; Harmon 2-5. Records -- Jackson 13-10.