Senior performances shave split in opener
By Robyn Rohde, BHG News Service
It may be a new season but some old wounds still sting in the Washburn-Wilton-Center-Stanton dugout. The WWCS watched their promising postseason in 2009 diminish with a loss to Central Prairie in the regionals. So it was poetic justice that the two teams met up again for the 2010 season opener last Friday. It may be a new year but the result was the same as the Firebirds took advantage of a few defensive miscues and runners left on base for the 6-3 conference win. In the first it appeared that WWCS was going to get the upper hand this time around, however. The top three in the lineup all found their way to make bases loaded for the clean-up hitters. Central Prairie didn’t waver as they took down the next three batters, all with strikeouts. "When we’ve got guys in scoring position, I have to see how they are going to react," coach Kip Erickson explained. "I have a young team and they are going to make our silly mistakes and we did." Central Prairie jumped to a two-run lead as their lead off batters both found their way around the bases in the first inning. After that action stalled until the bottom of the third inning when the home team was able to load the bases again following a pair of walks from the Firebird’s pitcher Brock Knodel. The senior recovered to strike out the next batter before Bret Schreiner walked to score Wendlin Berger. A bunt from Jared Hruby scored Evan Eberle and Kirby Kraft’s RBI line drive moved WWCS in the lead at 3-2.
