Whenever the moments were presented on Saturday, Centralia was alert in its home triangular.

Centralia vs Elsberry, California Photo Gallery

The Panthers defeated Elsberry 6-4 hours after losing 5-3 to California. Centralia was backed by defense and baserunning to edge Elsberry, who received votes in the most recent Class 3 poll after winning 13 of its previous 14 games going into Saturday, but was hurt by three errors in the loss against California in the morning.

Following the loss, head coach Mike Rodgers said he thought his players were more focused, as evidenced by the plays the Panthers (9-10) were making on the bases. It was what the Panthers needed to counter the good stuff by Sean Phillips, who allowed four hits along with striking out eight.

“After that first game, they felt like they beat themselves,” Rodgers said. “They came in a little more focused and energized. Our seniors helped lead us there. That Elsberry kid was probably upper 80s, and he’s a really good pitcher.”

Senior Jack Romine finished 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI while his fellow senior Alex Newbrough didn’t get a hit but was hit twice.

After one of those hit by pitches, Centralia broke a tie in the fourth inning after the big lineman Newbrough scored via a passed ball, following two stolen bases, and then the Panthers added a fifth run in the fifth inning when Elsberry (14-7) couldn’t complete an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Mattie Robinson collided with the first basemen as he was receiving the throw from home, allowing Tanner Dutton to score.

“He creates a passed ball with somewhat of a collision since he’s a big boy running down the hill,” Rodgers said. “He hops back up and goes in with a unique slide to home to get around the tag. Our guys, they love them and I love him too. They look up to him.”

Some of Centralia’s inexperienced players that made defensive mistakes in the first game came through at the plate as Elliot McCoy finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Anthony Ford gave the Panthers an insurance run, making it 6-4, in the sixth inning. 

“Those are two freshmen,” Rodgers said. “We’ve a really great mix of kids here. They all do their own little parts.”

Other parts Rodgers was referring to was Centralia’s alert defense early in the game as Elsberry took a 1-0 lead on the first pitch of the game as Kaden Kinsler hit a long over the right field fence. Sophomore pitcher Tuckyr Pollock — seven hits, four runs (two earned), four strikeouts and one walk in 6⅔ innings — and the Panthers didn’t panic as the defense in that same inning threw out a runner at third base and then caught a runner trying to steal second. Later in the game, Pollock picked off a runner and then the Panthers executed a rundown with eight of its players, which are the type of plays that loom large in a tight ballgame, Rodgers said.

“You’re facing a guy throwing upper 80s and (Pollock’s) not quite throwing that hard, and they’ve got some big sticks in their lineup,” Rodgers said. “He trusted his defense. (Kinsler) hit it out of this field and the field behind us and then he just stayed in the zone. He comes right at them and didn’t pitch around them.”

In the first game against California (12-7), the first four innings were scoreless between Centralia’s Robinson and California’s Martin Kilmer. The Panthers’ defensive issues began in the fifth inning to help the Pintos score four in the frame and then allow an insurance run in the seventh inning due to another error.

Robinson lasted 6⅔ innings with a line of five runs (three earned) on 10 hits and two walks and seven strikeouts.

“Matt Robinson was great,” Rodgers said. “He was around the zone all day, Even the balls he missed were around the zone so usually our defense rallies around him because you know balls are going to be put in play. We made some routine errors today — just routine balls we normally make.

“He has the ability to expand the strike zone and his offspeed is really good as he controls it and gets ahead of hitters,” Rodgers said. “Honestly, they beat us in one inning.”

The Panthers managed to respond to California after those initial four runs in the fifth inning in the latter half of the frame. Micah Danielson’s bunt preceded a California throwing error that allowed two runs to score. Danielson’s legs provided some offense against Kilmer’s six hits allowed in seven innings following three Clarence Cannon Conference games Centralia scored double-digit runs on double-digit hits — 12-0 Monroe City, 12-1 Brookfield and 13-2 Palmyra.

“Not only is he fast, but he makes good reads and he’s just aggressive,” Rodgers said. “When you see a guy busting out of the box, all of a sudden, your feet are moving and your hands are moving. There was a play where they threw the ball over the first baseman’s head because he put pressure on them. He doesn’t take plays off.”

“They’re learning,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys getting in on this.”

Romine, Marcellus lead Centralia bats to 17-7 win vs Knox County

Jack Romine and Mike Marcellus emerged from a balanced offensive attack by Centralia on Monday.

The Panthers defeated Knox County 17-7 in six innings, finishing with 21 hits. Romine and Marcellus each had four hits while combining for five RBI as six other Panthers also finished with multiple hits. Mason Presley had three RBI to tie Marcellus for the team lead, and Tanner Dutton and Mattie Robinson each had two RBI.

Centralia’s biggest damage was done in the second inning as the Panthers (10-10) scored eight runs of a 13-batter inning that contained eight hits. 

Knox County (13-6) was as close as 8-6 in the fourth inning only for Centralia to pull away again with three runs. Dutton hit a home run in the inning and was responsible for one of the Panthers’ seven extra-base hits, with Marcellus hitting two doubles.

Romine started three innings on the mound, allowing four runs (two earned) on no hits and six walks while striking out six. Presley pitched three innings of relief, allowing three runs (no earned) on two hits and one walk and striking out five.

Centralia (4-2 CCC) plays at Clarence Cannon Conference foe Highland (5-8, 3-4 CCC) at 5 p.m. Thursday.