Chargers Set Records in Playoff Opener, Fall in Regional Heartbreaker

LUNENBURG – The Central Chargers opened their post-season play last week with a bang as the team set school records with a 20 hit and 30 run performance to beat Charles City at home in the Conference 42 tournament to see who would advance to the Regionals.

Central put the game away in the first inning as Malik Foster and Nate Nowlin led off with singles. Christian Hall, Ethan Hoover and Austin Alphin would all reach base as well and score. Jeffrey Goodwin, LJ Watson and Noah Dunbar kept the rally going with each one reaching base. Foster and Nowlin each would have their second hits of the inning to put the Chargers up 9-0 early on.

Central added 7 runs in the second inning and 9 more in the third. Chris Fowler, and Cary Parrish would reach base while Austin Hall hit a homerun with the bases loaded to continue the scoring onslaught.

In the fourth inning, Jackson Dalton, Darryl Jones and Micajah Paynter got into the scoring efforts and the Chargers claimed a 30-0 win.

Central used three pitchers as Christian Hall got the start and combined with Alphin and Parrish for a shutout.

The opponent in the Regional playoffs was much tougher as Stonewall Jackson traveled to Central in a battle among the final eight teams in the 1A East. This was a back and forth affair that saw Stonewall use a couple late hits and infield errors to grab a 4-3 win.

Stonewall got on the board first as they used a walk and three singles off of Central starting pitcher Ethan Hoover to score two runs in the second inning. The game would stay that way until the bottom of the fourth. Nate Nowlin doubled to lead things off for Central and would score. Christian Hall reached base on an error and after hits by Ethan Hoover and Austin Alphin, Hall scored and Central tied the game at 2-2.

In the fifth inning, Central took the lead as LJ Watson singled, Nate Nowlin doubled him to third and Watson scored on a wild pitch to put Central up 3-2.

Hall came to the mound for Central in the third inning and stemmed the Stonewall offense with good pitching and strong defense early on. He  kept Stonewall off the board all the way to the final inning. The Chargers would have a pair of infield errors along with a Stonewall single and sacrifice fly that made the score 4-3.

In the final at bat, LJ Watson would single, but a controversial call at first base on a Malik Foster groundout ended the game and the Central playoff run.

The Chargers ended the year with 17 wins, the best total since the early 1990’s and could have as many as twelve returning players back next season.