Centre Cougars shortchanged by rain
By ROWENA PLETT
Reporter / photographer
The Centre Cougars baseball team for 11- 12-year-old boys was rained out of three of their first seven scheduled games. After three weeks into the season, they had a record of no wins, three losses.
However, their luck changed in the fourth week, when they earned wins over Marion #1 and Hillsboro.
The 10-member team is coached by Eric Olsen of Lincolnville.
"We're just starting the second round, and we're getting better," he said. "I think we'll do OK."
He is assisted by his wife, JoAnn, and Lisa Stroda of Ramona. They have been coaching the team since the kids began playing T-ball.
Nathan Barney and Josh Olsen, both of Lincolnville, Isaac Leihy of Tampa, and Konley Harding of Burdick are pitchers. Adam Kristek of Lincolnville is catcher.
First baseman is Isaac Leihy or Josh Olsen. At second base is Jared Diepenbrock of Lincolnville, and at third base is Konley Harding. Nathan Barney is short-stop.
Outfielders include Seth Stroda and Josh Leach of Ramona and Stephen Kaiser and Trevor Troutt of Lincolnville.
Phil Peterson of Burdick is home plate umpire and Brent Potocnik of Lincolnville is base umpire. JoAnn Olsen is scorekeeper. Lincolnville Wide Awake 4-H Club runs the concession stand.
The team played Marion #1 Monday and got its first taste of victory, winning by a score of 14-7.
Marion got off to a head start, up 3-1 at the end of the first inning. Olsen made the run for the Cougars.
They caught up and went ahead, 6-3 in the second inning after Marion went three and out. Barney, Olsen, Leihy, Leach, and Troutt crossed home plate.
Both teams had one run in the third inning, Kristek scoring for the Cougars.
After Marion went three and out in the top of the fourth inning, Leihy hit two grand slams and the Cougars scored eight runs. In addition to Leihy's two homeruns, Kristek, Harding, Trout, Stroda, Barney, and Olsen had runs.
Game rules allow only five runs in an inning except the last, so the inning ended with the Cougars leading 13-4.
Marion failed to score in the fifth inning. The Cougars added one run by Kristek.
Marion gained three runs in the final inning, but they were not enough to bridge the gap, and the game ended with the score, Cougars 14 Marion 7.
The team played Hillsboro at Hillsboro Saturday and won 19-11. Diepenbrock had two doubles and brought in five runs.
"The whole team played awesomely," said JoAnn Olsen.
As of Saturday, they had a record of two wins, three losses.
They were scheduled to play undefeated Chase County at 8 p.m. Monday at home and will play Peabody-Burns at 6 p.m. Saturday, also at home.
