The Central Tigers began their 2024 baseball season with a 12-5 home win Thursday afternoon over the Hulbert Riders.

However, the Friday night showers rained out Central’s Saturday afternoon home threeway with Webbers Falls and Talihina.

In Thursday’s season- opening home win over Hulbert, the Tigers (1-0), who trailed 1-0 after two innings, took the lead for good with a pair of three-run innings in the fourth and fifth innings for a 6-1 lead. After the Riders cut the deficit to 6-5 in the sixth inning, Central erupted for six runs in the sixth inning to put away the game.

For the game, Hardy Buzzard was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored, Connor Green doubled with two RBIs and two runs scored and Mekko Ariza hit his first home run of the season with two RBIs and scored twice for Central.

Connor Walters (10) got the win in relief, going the final two innings with a strikeout.

Bo Locust got the start and went the first four innings with six Ks.

After the Tigers played a road game Monday at Porum and a home game Tuesday against Dewar, they will travel for a 5 p.m. Thursday road game at Howe and a 1 p.m. Saturday game at Spiro before being part of a road three-way with Vian at Muldrow at beginning at noon Monday before spending the end of Spring Break Week at the Ketchum Tournament.