Central’s youthful pitching staff won’t gain experience without a few lessons.

Oak Park taught a trio of underclassmen pitchers how to give up runs in bunches Monday afternoon at Bartlett Park. The Northmen scored nine runs in the first inning off junior starter Josh Thompson on the way to a 16-8 victory.

Central twice avoided a 10-run-rule victory while outscoring Oak Park 8-7 during the final six innings. Thompson still drew the loss after lasting only two-thirds of an inning in his first varsity start.

“We’ve just got to keep putting him out there, have faith in him,” said senior catcher Landin Eckhardt. “I’m glad we didn’t quit. We could’ve been home after five innings, but we didn’t fold.”

Central fell to 1-2 on the young season despite scoring more than seven runs per game. Prior to Monday against Oak Park, none of the Indians’ pitchers had an inning of varsity experience.

Senior Chaz Williams, who didn’t start Monday, gave up two runs in two innings of relief against Oak Park after missing the first two games due to suspension. Senior ace Jonathan Rice hasn’t pitched this season due to arm trouble. His status for the rest of the season remains in doubt.

“We’ve got some talent in our underclassmen,” said Eckhardt, who helped keep the game alive with an RBI double during a three-run fifth inning.

“But to throw them into the fire right way wasn’t what we wanted.”

On Monday, two juniors and two sophomores worked along with Williams. Only sophomore Keaton Steele escaped unscathed, working a perfect seventh inning against a potent Oak Park lineup.

Thompson allowed four hits, one walk and two runs before he recorded his first out. Seven more runs crossed the plate before Thompson exited three batters after No. 9 hitter Angelo Christiano hit a grand slam to left field.

Christiano’s apparently routine fly ball to left-center used the aid of a right-to-left wind to push itself near the foul line and over the fence.

“I told the kids the easiest ball (Oak Park) hit all night gave them four runs,” Central coach Stan Weston said.

Thompson allowed each of the three hitters to reach base after Christiano’s home run before junior Ethan Boyer took over. Boyer walked the first batter he faced but retired three of the next six batters he faced.

His trouble started with one out in the third with an error from shortstop Zach Campbell. Boyer walked or hit the next four batters before Weston relieved him in favor of sophomore Jonathan McCann, who allowed a two-run single during a five-run third.

Central trailed 14-2 at that point, managing only three runs off Oak Park starter Joe Quatrochi highlighted by Owen Lenander’s second-inning leadoff home run — his second of the season. The rest of Central’s runs came in the fifth and sixth.

The Indians scored three in the fifth to cut Oak Park’s lead to 15-6 and added two more in the sixth to trim another 10-run lead to 16-8.

Eckahrdt, Lenander, Steele, Seth Alden and Zak Swyhart each recorded two hits as the Indians pounded out 13 hits, including five for extra bases. The hitting appears on track, but now they must wait as the pitching, hopefully, develops.

“That’s our plan,” Weston said. “We knew ahead of time — or thought — we’d have a pretty good hitting team. We feel like if we keep throwing them, they’ll get better.”