HALLSVILLE - Brian Buckert has been a work-in-progress for Centralia baseball Coach Jason Lea. All season, the coach has been trying to convince his big right-handed catcher to be patient at the plate and drive balls into the outfield gaps. Last week, Buckert started to come around.

The senior hit a game-winning double in an extra-inning win at South Shelby last Wednesday. Yesterday, he went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI. His home run cleared the left-field fence and drove in two runs to help Centralia beat Hallsville 9-6.

"He’s been sporadic," said Lea, whose team improved to 11-4. "Obviously, he’s a good-sized kid. When he keeps his weight back, drives and brings everything at once, he’s able to get some good contact."

Buckert made good contact in all four at-bats yesterday. In a three-run first, Buckert sent a Zach Koeneke fastball to the gap in right-center for a two-run double. In the fifth, Buckert hit a double to left and later scored to extend Centralia’s lead to 6-3. In the seventh, when Hallsville (8-7) had gotten to within 6-4, his first-pitch home run extended the lead to 9-4.

All three of his hits came on fastballs. His last two hits came on the first pitch of the at-bat, and Buckert didn’t hide that he was trying to put one over the fence.

"I wouldn’t say I wasn’t trying," he said. "Pretty much all I saw was fastball. He threw curveballs, but he couldn’t get them over the plate, so I just tried to hit the ones he threw straight and over the plate."

Centralia had 13 hits as it kept extending its lead from a Hallsville team that started slow. The Indians got within 4-3 with a three-run third inning and drew to 6-4 in the fifth. They scored two runs in the seventh but left a runner stranded when Austin Church popped up to end the game.

Hallsville Coach Barry Koeneke said he wasn’t sure if the senior-day festivities - which delayed the start of the game about 20 minutes - had anything to do with his team’s sluggish start. Whatever the reason, Hallsville didn’t get a hit until Jeremyah Grigery led off the third with a double and got only one more before the seventh inning.

"They got off to a great start and we didn’t execute real well at the beginning," Koeneke said. "I know I have to take some blame, because I tried to do some aggressive base-running and it didn’t work out."

One of those decisions ended Hallsville’s three-run third inning. With two outs and a runner on third, Zach Koeneke struck out on a Derek Parnell curveball. Buckert dropped the ball then lost it. As Zach Koeneke took off toward first base, Barry Koeneke, who was coaching third base, sent Derek Kitch home. Buckert found the ball and tagged out Kitch.

Hallsville’s fifth inning was ended with a play at the plate, as well. With runners on first and second and two outs, Tony McGee reached and drove in a run on an error by Centralia shortstop Scott Rodgers. Second basemen Tony Ewigman retrieved the ball and threw out Cameron Benedict trying to score from first base.

Lea praised plays like that from his defense on a day when Parnell didn’t pitch his best game. Parnell allowed four runs on four hits and walked five in six innings. But Parnell went 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles - one of which hit off the left-field fence on the first pitch of the game - and three runs scored.

"I always say the hardest decision for a coach is: When do you pull the pitcher?" Lea said. "I’ve been guilty of leaving them in too long in the past. I think any coach will tell you that it’s a lot easier to make the change when you have a few runs up there."

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