By Ken Lay
It was a night of celebration for the Central High School baseball team on Tuesday.
The Bobcats honored their seniors before capturing a 10-4 victory against Jefferson County on Bud Bales Field at Tommy Schumpert Park.
Central also celebrated the renovations to its home field, and the team shared a moment of silence dedicated to Schumpert’s memory. The coach, who guided the Bobcats to the 1973 state championship, passed away earlier this year.
Then, there was the business of the game and the Bobcats started fast as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Jack Goode clubbed a two-run homer over the right-field fence.
It was the beginning of a big day at the plate for Goode, Central’s senior first baseman, as he went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Leadoff man Nick Riordan scored ahead of Goode’s home run. A senior infielder and pitcher, Riordan had two hits and scored two runs in the contest against the Patriots (19-11).
“That was a beautiful thing to see, Nick getting on base and Jack hitting that home run,” Bobcats’ coach Brandon Roberts said. “I’m going to really miss those guys.
“We have a great group of seniors, and I’m going to miss all of those guys. It’s been fun watching them play the last four years, and they’ve all been a lot of fun to be around.”
Central (22-9) will be the top seed in the upcoming District 3-4A Tournament. After a first-round bye, the Bobcats will host the winner of the Karns-Powell game on Wednesday at Tommy Schumpert Park.
Jefferson County pulled to within 2-1 at the top of the third when Drew Molter came up with an RBI single that plated Isaiah Kirk, who singled to lead off the frame and later stole second base.
Central answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame when Dom Hinton drove in two runs when he reached on an error, making the score 4-1. The Bobcats scored their other run of the frame when Kaylin Chesney II stole home as part of a double steal. Hinton also swiped a bag on the play.
Chesney II, another senior, went 3-for-4 and stole two bases.
“Kaylin Chesney had a three-hit day for us, and he’s gotten some power this year,” Roberts said.
Chesney showed off his newly-found power when he narrowly missed a home run in the bottom of the sixth. He settled for a single as the ball went off the right-field fence.
His single, however, ignited a three-run frame for the Bobcats, who also tallied twice in the fourth.
Central closed out the week Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Carter.
The Bobcats will conclude the regular season at Heritage today (April 27). First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. in Maryville.
