Okeechobee sophomore Jacob Hardy got the start on the mound for the Brahmans against Centennial and allowed only one run in a 11-1 Okeechobee blowout.
OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee High School varsity baseball team opened their 2020 season with a big, 11-1 blowout of the Centennial Eagles on Feb. 18.
Brahman batters wrecked the Eagles early and often. More often than not, Eagles pitchers ended up being their own worst enemy in the game. Centennial went through five pitching changes throughout the course of the game, but couldn’t find an answer.
The game was mercy-ruled in the bottom of the sixth once Okeechobee went up double digits on the Eagles.
The Brahmans went up 3-1 in the second inning and sophomore Jacob Hardy had an efficient three up, three down inning in the top of the third. The Eagles pitchers, on the other hand, struggled to find any consistency.
In the bottom of the third, Centennial walked the first two batters. Then senior Jay Krall was able to bring in a run with a line drive shot into left field to put Okeechobee up 4-1.
It only got worse for the Eagles from there.
The bases were loaded for Okeechobee in the bottom of the fourth after Centennial walked two batters and hit another with a pitch. A wild pitch then allowed one Brahman to score. Next senior Ozzy Osceola boomed an absolute rocket into right field to bring in two more base runners and put Okeechobee up 7-1.
The Brahmans were up 10-1 by the bottom of the sixth with a runner on first when junior Kase Myers hit a high, pop-up fly ball into left field that looked like an easy out for the Eagles. But the Centennial outfielder lost the ball in the lights and missed the catch, allowing the Brahmans to put runners on first and second. Then freshman Jayce Markham drew a walk to load the bases.
Perhaps fittingly for the Eagles, it was another walk with the bases loaded that allowed the 11th run to come in for Okeechobee and end the game.
The Brahmans are now 1-0 as they prepare to head on road for a three-game stretch. Okeechobee will take on Lakeland, Avon Park and Centennial again on that road trip.
First up are the 1-0 Lakeland Dreadnaughts who are coming off an appearance in the regional semifinals last year. Okeechobee and Lakeland face off at 7 p.m. on Feb. 21 in Lakeland.