Panthers roar into Final Four

HACKLEBURG — The Hackleburg Panthers have been on a tear this year, and the post season has been yielding incredible results for the Panthers.
Hackleburg matched-up against Coosa Christian on Thursday, May 4, and the force was certainly on their side in their two game series.
In the first game of the series, Hackleburg shut out their opponents 13-0, in a game that saw pitcher Blaise Vickery dominate from the mound.
Hackleburg bats were hot as well as they scored all 13 runs in just four innings of baseball.
The offensive display from the Panthers came from incredible at-bats from Chandler Benford, Ross Hudson, Edge Weeks, Jaquan Reeder and Vickery.
Hudson and Vickery were the best hitters in the game, gaining three hits from four at-bats.
On the mound, Vickery pitched all five innings, allowing just four hits and one walk as he shut out the side with seven strikeouts in the game.
Hackleburg had the chance to end the series without playing a third game against Coosa Christian, and they delivered a performance quite similar to their first game.
While the Panthers weren’t able to completely shut out their opponents in the second and final game of the series, they won the matchup 10-2, allowing very little in terms of offense for Coosa.
The Panthers allowed their opponents to take an early lead in the bottom of the first, but their chance to get the bats going in the top of the third yielded three runs.
The Panthers would then go on to score another four runs to add to their tally in the top of the fourth, giving Coosa Christian little hope of advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
While the Panthers’ opponents showed a little fight by scoring one run in the bottom of the fourth, Hackleburg was able to keep them quiet and score three more runs of their own in the final inning of the game.
Hackleburg’s Weeks and Benford were Hackleburg’s star performers at the plate with three hits from four plate appearances.
Reeder, Hudson, Vickery, Aydan Beard and Jayce Ables also got in on the offensive action for the Panthers.
Vickery was on the mound again for Hackleburg, playing just one and a half innings while surrendering one run and striking out two batters.
Benford got the win as he relieved Vickery, pitching the remaining innings of the game. He allowed just four hits, one run and struck out three batters.
With the two wins against Coosa Christian, Hackleburg now moves onto the Final Four in their chase for championship glory.
The semi-final game was scheduled at Appalachian High School near Oneonta
yesterday.