Central takes area title with win over Smiths Station

A year ago, Central watched Smiths Station close out a series victory between the two teams to clinch a playoff berth and, eventually, win a state championship.

The Red Devils are still a long way from that prize, but Wednesday was a big step. They topped the Panthers 3-0 at Darnell-Nelson Field to improve to 3-0 in Area 3-7A play and clinch the area title. It is Central’s first area title since 2012, which is also the last season it made the playoffs.

As always, coach Bobby Howard kept things in perspective after the game.

“It was a big win,” he said. “We hope we’ve got bigger ones, but the main thing is I’m proud of the way the kids played and pitched.”

The latter being the key acknowledgment of the two.

Noah Wilkes got the call on the mound for Central in the first of a three-game series, and he pitched a gem. He pitched six shutout innings before allowing a leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning and giving way to closer Jackson Cook.

Cook closed the door in short order, and the Red Devils went home with the area title.

Wilkes allowed eight hits and walked one, while striking out seven batters. Cook threw 14 pitches, striking out one and retiring three straight batters to end the game.

“Noah was outstanding,” Howard said. “He wouldn’t let us lose.”

“I just told myself to go out there and throw strikes, let my infield work and see how it went,” Wilkes said.

Cook has been a revelation in recent weeks. After struggling, by Howard’s estimation, earlier in the year, he has carved out a niche as the team’s closer. He earned a big win in relief at Auburn a week ago and earned a big save Wednesday.

“He’s been that way here lately when it counted,” Howard said. “The last two weeks, he’s stepped up and done a real good job. The last six outs are the hardest. It’s a good feeling knowing you’ve got him to come in.”

At the plate, it was a relatively quiet day for both teams. Central scored a run in the first inning on an RBI single by Tanner Belcher to give it an early 1-0 lead.

In the fifth, Belcher came up again, this time with the bases loaded. He laced a hard ground ball to first base. The ball was two steps to the right of the fielder, and Belcher was able to beat out the play at the bag. One run scored on the infield hit, and another run scored on an error getting the ball out of the glove to make it 3-0.

“I was just thinking get to the bag before he does,” Belcher said. “Facing a good pitcher like that, you just have to get base hits and get a couple runs in.”

Belcher was 3-for-3 with the game’s only two RBIs.

The loss puts Smiths Station right on the brink of elimination from playoff contention. A year after sneaking into the playoffs and winning the Class 7A state championship, the Panthers now have to defeat Central in Game 2, the first of a doubleheader on Thursday at Smiths Station, to clinch a berth.

A loss in that game would drop the Panthers’ area record to 1-3, a tie with Auburn. Auburn won two of three games against Smiths Station to give it the tie-breaker.

First pitch of the doubleheader will be at 5 p.m.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Central takes area title with win over Smiths Station."