MONTGOMERY — It started with a scare but ended with a massive win over the reigning state champs and a trip to the final game in Round Rock.
The Centerville Bulldogs won their 13th game in a row to down the Fayetteville Lions 11-1 and continue to move farther into the postseason brackets than ever before.
Fayetteville won the 1A championship in 2025.
Head Coach Lawton Trekell said that while the team is excited to make the finals, they aren’t satisfied.
“Our big talking point this entire run has been to finish the job, and we understand that our job isn’t finished yet,” he said. “We beat a very, very good and talented team that achieved last year what we want to achieve this year. So, we have to find a way to keep that momentum going and try to do the same thing against a dangerous good Gordon team that was in this game last year as well.”
As home team and facing the first batter, Centerville catcher Drew Larsen was hit with a ball off of a bounce; after a bit of time, he stormed back to claim the first run for the Bulldogs after stealing home on a passed ball.
Centerville went on to score 3 runs in the first, one in the second, and 4 in the third; another 3-run inning in the fourth combined with a tough defense ended the game in 4 ½ innings.
Drew Larsen led the team in hitting, going 2-for-3 and scoring 3 times. Hardy Brown, Wyatt Clede and Eli Emmons added hits in the effort, with Clede’s hit in the first bouncing off the centerfield wall.
It wasn’t just the 5 hits, though, as the Bulldogs owned the basepaths — the team combined for 9 stolen bases, with Kolt Larsen and Hardy Brown each posting 2.
Kolt Larsen got the win on the mound, tossing 9 strikeouts while giving up only 1 hit and 2 walks. Fayetteville’s Jack Schley, though, walked 9 Bulldogs and gave up 4 of Centerville’s 5 hits. Reliever Kole Schmitt walked three and gave up a hit.
Centerville will take on the Gordon Longhorns at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Dell Diamond Field in Round Rock for the 1A State Championship.
