CHS baseball team routs Killeen in 8-6A opener
Ronnie Henson would have been very proud of his alma mater on a day when he and the Central High School baseball team were in the spotlight.
Brandon Pfingsten threw a one-hitter in five innings and Brock Martin had a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday, leading the Bobcats to a 10-0 shutout against Killeen High in the District 8-6A opener at Nathan Donsky Field.
Prior to the game, Henson was posthumously honored with a granite bench with his image directly behind home plate. He was a Central standout from 1962-64 who went on to play for Rice University before getting drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Indians in 1967.
His widow, Melanie Henson, threw out the first pitch to get district play started.
Coming off a first-place showing at the Lewisville Tournament last weekend, the Bobcats put on a show for the home fans.
The Bobcats scored five runs apiece in the second and third innings and collected 13 hits.
"When you start a new part of your season, like we talked to our guys, we're 0-0 and if you haven't been swinging it well and you haven't been happy, then now's the time to reset and re-evaluate and reset your goals," Central head coach Patrick Penry said.
"We had a gutsy performance from Pfingsten, obviously, who didn't pitch in the tournament. We were setting him up for district play and he was where he's been all year. And our hitters, they're just up there competing. They're being aggressive. Brock was Hitter of the Week for 6A last week (on Txhighschoolbaseball.com) and he definitely picked up where he left off."
Martin, who was sidelined with an injury all of last season, had a two-run homer in last weekend's tournament and he hit his third round-tripper Tuesday, even though there was a strong wind blowing in.
"It's just repetition, especially out here in practice," Martin said. "We take (batting practice) and coaches really harp on repetition and the same swing. I'm starting to see the ball really well and I'm feeling good swinging the bat."
The Bobcats failed to make the playoffs last season in District 2-6A, but they've gotten off to a fast start in their new district.
"It's always good to win your first one," Martin said. "That's probably one of the hardest ones to get. I think coming off last week's tournament we were feeling real good and we haven't quite peaked yet. We want to peak in district, especially against those guys like Waco Midway and Belton. It's a good start, but we're not satisfied yet."
Central improved to 11-7 overall and 1-0 in district, while Killeen dropped to 4-9-1 and 0-1. The Bobcats will travel to Killeen on Friday to play the Kangaroos at their place.
Martin went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, but he wasn't the only Bobcat with a hot bat.
Daniel Madrid was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Gunner Couch went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Blake Mikeska (3-for-3), Rance Rosas (1-for-3) and Nixon Brannan (1-for-2) drove in one run each. Bryce Turner was 2-for-2 with a double.
Meanwhile, Pfingsten did a masterful job on the mound, recording nine strikeouts without any walks.
"I was feeling very in control and I feel like I could have spotted up where I wanted to and I felt like my off-speed (pitch) was very effective today," Pfingsten said.
Penry said before the season started that the Bobcats were excited about playing in a new district against the likes of Waco Midway, Belton, Killeen, Killeen Shoemaker, Copperas Cove, Killeen Ellison and Killeen Harker Heights.
"It's all about the approach because we don't know much about anybody in this district, so we're kind of going into it blind," Penry said. "Like I told the guys, we're going to focus on us and us getting better and that's what they've done. They've really brought a lot of energy this year and they're playing as a team and that's what we expect out of them."
Central 10, Killeen High 0 (5)
Killeen 000 00--0 1 0
Central 055 0x--10 13 0
Mario Gonzales, Alnado Lanzo (4) and Josh Barnett. Brandon Pfingsten and Nixon Brannan. WP -- Pfingsten. LP -- Gonzales. 2B -- Central: Bryce Turner. 3B -- Central: Daniel Madrid. HR -- Central: Brock Martin (3). Records -- Central is 11-7 overall and 1-0 in District 8-6A, Killeen High is 4-9-1 and 0-1.
