By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
July 01, 2008 01:23 am
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OTTUMWA — The outfield grass was not the place to be if you were a Centerville Big Red baseball player Monday night in Albia.
That’s where head coach Bill Huisman took his squad — right behind second base in shallow centerfield after his team’s doubleheader was completed versus Albia.
There, the longtime Big Red head coach had a heart to heart.
He wasn’t happy.
Huisman and the Big Reds managed a split versus the Blue Demons in a huge South Central Conference clash that will go a long way to determine a league victor.
Centerville took the first game 4-2 behind the dominant pitching of Patrick Harshman. The Big Reds were clobbered in the nightcap, losing 14-4 in five innings.
“We showed no emotion. There was no fire or desire. It just amazes me. I don’t know what it takes to get up for a big ball game,” said Huisman, in his 32nd season of guiding his perennial power club from Appanoose County.
Centerville’s mark now stands at 19-7 and 11-3 in the conference, good for first place. Albia is 22-9 and 10-5 in the league.
Centerville has six games in the conference left — three with Chariton, two with Davis County and one with Eddyville-Blakesburg.
Albia plays Clarke three times in the next two days and ends the regular season at Chariton. The Blue Demons host E-B in Class 2A district this Saturday. Centerville hosts Chariton in 3A district play on Friday, July 11.
With the conference still up for grabs, there won’t be a puzzle to solve as to who will win the league if Centerville can get production like it did from Harshman.
The senior lefthander shut down a potent Albia squad in the opener as he allowed just five hits and struck out eight batters. He allowed just one earned run. Albia scored all of its runs in the first inning off the hard thrower.
Asked what has been the problem in the two previous losses to Centerville, Albia head coach Boyd Brittain didn’t mess around.
“Harshman,” he said.
Centerville won its first two meetings with Albia 10-0 and 8-2.
All-everything CHS standout Wallace Carter slugged a two-run opposite field home run to left to start the scoring for the Big Red in the opening frame.
All-state Albia third baseman Aaron Flahive’s RBI double tied the contest at 2-2.
Harshman’s RBI single to right gave CHS its third run in the second inning.
Nate Graham suffered his first loss of the season for the Blue Demons. He allowed three earned runs but walked five. He struck out six.
Game two was a nightmare for Big Red pitching. Starter Jay Schmidt couldn’t get out of the first as he lasted just a third of an inning. It wasn’t much better for Jake Barber. He allowed five runs in just under two innings tossed. Barber did smack a two-run home run on a line to left center in the second inning.
Huisman used four pitchers and each hurler issued two walks apiece.
Huisman talked about his displeasure with his team’s performance.
“It’s hard for any coach to see a team that’s got some talent to kind of flounder like we did today. It’s hard to find the words to describe what you have to do. But they have to find it within themselves. I can only horse whip them so many times,” said Huisman, who won a state title with Centerville in 1988.
Albia scored four times in the first. The first two runs crossed the plate on wild pitches. Graham’s RBI double to deep center made it 3-0 Blue Demons. Austin Riley’s RBI single chased Schmidt.
Centerville responded with three unearned runs in the second.
Huisman’s long talk after the game was boiled down to a simple statement.
“I already told them what I want. Now I want to see what they want,” said Huisman.
Graham added a two-run double in the next frame as Albia pushed three runs across the plate to make it 7-3 after two innings of play.
The Blue Demons closed the door for good with a five-run fifth, culminated by Riley’s two-run double that sent the blue and red faithful home happy.
Albia senior centerfielder Brett Frieden was 3-3 with three runs scored in his leadoff spot. Flahive was also 3-3 and crossed the plate three times as well. Graham knocked in four runs and Riley amassed three RBI.
Sam Harris — fresh off of his perfect game versus Davis County last Wednesday — wasn’t sharp on the hill, but he managed. He overcame six free passes and allowed just one earned run. He struck out four.
The Blue Demons — who had sparkling record of 35-6 last season — were stopped short of their ultimate goal — a state tournament appearance and state title.
This year, Brittain says his team will be primed come Saturday.
“We’ll be ready for the postseason,” said Brittain, in his 12th season at Albia.
Centerville 4, Albia 2
CEN 210 010 — 4 6 1
ALB 200 000 — 2 5 2
Centerville battery — Patrick Harshman (W, 7-1) (6IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 8K, 3BB), Trent McFarland catching.
HR — Wallace Carter.
Hits — Harshman 2-2, Carter 2-2, A.J. Hoffman 1-3, Seth Thomas 1-3.
RBI — Harshman, Carter 2. Runs — Harshman, Jaylon Burgin, Carter, Hoffman.
Albia battery — Nate Graham (L, 6-1) (6IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 6K, 5BB), Andrew Reed catching.
2B — Aaron Flahive, Graham.
Hits — Brett Frieden 1-2, Flahive 1-3, Graham 1-3, Wes Clouse 2-2.
RBI — Flahive. Runs — Frieden, Flahive.
Albia 14, Centerville 4 (5 innings)
CEN 030 10 — 4 5 1
ALB 432 05 — 14 13 4
Centerville battery — Jay Schmidt (L, 4-2) (1/3IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB), Jake Barber (1 2/3IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB), Zach Armington (2IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB), Hoffman (0IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB), McFarland catching.
HR — Schmidt.
Hits — Harshman 1-4, Michael Kauzlarich 1-3, Jordan McCoy 1-3, Schmidt 1-1, Barber 1-2.
RBI — Kauzlarich, Schmidt 2. Runs — Harshman, Hoffman, Tyler Burge, Schmidt.
Albia battery — Sam Harris (W, 6-2) (5IP, 5H, 4R, 1ER, 4K, 6BB), Reed catching.
2B — Harris, Graham, Austin Riley.
3B — Frieden.
Hits — Frieden 3-3, Flahive 3-3, Harris 2-3, Graham 2-2, Riley 2-4, Jeremy Mills 1-2.
RBI — Frieden, Harris 2, Reed 2, Graham 4, Riley 3. Runs — Frieden 3, Adam Stephens 2, Flahive 3, Harris, Tommy O’Leary, Justin Smithberg, Andy Stephens, Mills, Clouse.
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