CROCKETT — Doug Vardeman blasted two home runs, Zach Sevar added another homer and Central Heights scored 11 runs in the fourth inning to defeat Mart 16-2 in Game 1 of a best-of-3 game series here at Bulldog Field Thursday.
Vardeman picked up the win by striking out four batters and giving up five hits to help Central Heights increase its record to 24-7.
Mart is 19-6.
Clay Hamblett had three strikeouts in the final inning.
Game 2 of the Class 2A Area playoff round will continue today at 7 p.m. in Crockett.
"Vardeman pictched great," Central Heights head coach Craig Fuller said. "We were close for a while. The fourth inning was huge for us, though."
After a two-run shot by Vardeman in the first inning, fans could be seen twiddling their thumbs through a relatively calm next couple of innings.
Besides the home run, Mart senior pitcher Kyle Summers had pitched a brilliant three innings.
Central Heights' hitters at top of the line-up were all three sent back to the dugout after three straight strikeouts thrown by the strong right-hander.
Zach Matthys had matched his teammates momentum from the mound with a two-RBI double in the first inning. Colby Summers helped the Panthers tie the game at 2-2 in the third inning by stealing home with two outs.
Then the calvary arrived.
Mart pitching woes and a flaming Blue Devil offense combined for three unearned Central Heights runs and seven earned — including two doubles and two singles.
Summers walked the four of the first five Central Heights batters in the inning. Three wild pitches resulted in three Blue Devil runs.
Adam Smith started the hitting spree with a three-run double down the third base line.
"That hit was big," Fuller said. "When Smith cleared the bases, that got the bats rolling for us and started an incredible inning."
Trey Haley followed up with a single and Vardeman brought him home with a two-run double to increase the lead to 8-2.
Taylor Fancher added a double in the inning, and Sevar nailed his first home run of the season.
Mart, who used four pitchers in the game, brought in Hunter Odie in the inning to stop the bleeding.
The freshman did just that.
Odie struck out the next two Central Heights batters.
Mart had its chances early on.
The Panthers had runners on third twice in two innings. But Central Heights' defense made huge plays when it counted.
With Mart runners threatening on second and third with no outs in the second inning, third baseman Taylor Fancher made a diving stop at his position, tagged the runner out at third base and threw down the runner at first base to get a double play.
Odie and Holden Strunck singled in the hitting spree.
Mart stranded four runners in the first three innings.
Dane Phillips nailed a two-RBI double in the fifth inning and Vardeman popped his tenth home run of the year to give Central Heights a commanding lead late.
Central Heights has tallied up 39 home runs so far this year. Fuller said that's a plus.
"We've been hitting the ball well," the coach said. "Hopefully we'll keep the momentum up tomorrow and try to close this series out."
Phillips finished with two doubles and one RBI. Sevar had three RBI and Fancher had a double.
