Knoxville 7 Centerville 2

Friday July 17, 2009

by Don French

The Panthers have lived to play another day. Knoxville began its 2009 post-season Friday night at home by knocking off the ninth-ranked and defending state champion Centerville Big Reds, 7-2.

KHS jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Zach Stuart blooped a single just over shortstop to score Lance Daugherty. Centerville responded immediately, bunching three hits to score twice and take a 2-1 edge. But that would be the end of the Reds' scoring for the night, as Eric Jones quieted the Centerville bats. The Reds would get only two more hits in the game. Jones went six-plus innings, allowing just five hits.

While Jones cooled down Centerville, the Knoxville bats came to life late, with the Panthers scoring six runs over the final four innings to take the lead and then pull away. Blake McWilliams' fourth-inning home run tied the game at 2-2. Tyler Worrall was thrust into the starting lineup, and came up big with a deep triple to right field in the fifth. Worrall then scored on a wild pitch, and put Knoxville ahead to stay.

Two more runs in the sixth gave KHS some breathing room. Adam Thiel and Zach Stuart laced doubles, with Stuart's hit driving in his second and third runs of the game.

Thiel and McWilliams each added RBI's in the seventh.

Kellen Glover came on in relief to pitch to and retire the final two Reds' hitters. Knoxville (22-14) advances to Monday's District 12 championship game to face the Chariton Chargers.