After anticipating the first official baseball game for months and having a long preseason to get ready for the season, the Central Pounders started playing under the lights, surrounded by the people that they love.

The first official game of the season was away at Hixson High School. Going into the game, the players were almost silent. Even when it came down to cheering on other teammates, the Pounders were inaudible compared to the dugout of the opposing team. Because Hixson was the home team, they hit first.

Leading off in the lineup was Manny Velazquez. Velazquez, being very aggressive at the plate, obtained a single very early in the count. Overall, the team did not skip a beat. The Hixson Wildcats started fighting hard for a victory straight from the beginning.

By the third inning, the Wildcats were winning 5-0. Offensively, the Pounders were hitting pop-ups and grounders straight to the other team. The Pounders would end an inning with three outs back to back. The tide started to change in the fifth inning when Central scored two runs, attempting to gain back what they lost. Earlier in the inning, there was one out on the board by a strike out at the plate.

Subsequently, the Wildcats would end the inning with a caught fly ball hit to left field. At the time, there was a runner on third. Before the ball was caught, the runner left the base early. This resulted in the umpire calling the runner out. With no play advancements by either team in the last two innings of the game, the Pounders lost 2-5.

“There are always things that we can improve upon, but one thing in particular is our energy during games. When the team is motivated, big things can happen,” stated Senior Tyler Mullins.

In baseball, you have to play the school in your district twice, one at home and one away. The opening game at Gene Lively Stadium would be against the Hixson Wildcats, once again. The Pounders had faced off against Hixson two days in a row. Fresh off of Monday’s loss, they went into the game with a whole different type of energy. The Pounders were anticipating what the night held for them— revenge.

It was a constant fight between the two teams. Senior Malcolm Tutton started pitching in the first inning. Hixson took the lead in the second inning, ending the inning with four runs. All in all, Tutton, allowed two hits, five runs, and struck out one player over the course of three innings. Freshman Keaton Hesson was put in to pitch in the fourth inning, allowing one run and two hits, along with two strikeouts, for the rest of the game.

Although the Pounders came back in the fifth inning to tie up the score six to six, the game was only uphill from there. While the Wildcats were held to their six runs, the Pounders went on to score five more runs over the course of the game, ending the game at 11-6. The Pounders had got their revenge.

“Baseball is an individual-team sport. When everyone does their part successfully, and you put that all together as a team, you then have a recipe for success,” stated Baseball Coach Franklin Carter.

Readers can view the latest sports updates on the sports center page. This is where schedules, scores, and rosters will be posted.