In a pre-game display of appreciation to many of the Klein Oak teachers the Panther baseball players invited a teacher(s)that has positively impacted their life.  Klein Oak Director of Choir, Mr. Terry Morris, sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem prior to the first pitch, which was a little high, being thrown in by our principal, Mrs. Kelly Schumacher.

Panther Chase Barnett took the rock to begin the ten inning ball game and struck out the side to end the top of the first.  Deuces  were wild the first and second inning for the Panthers with a Scott Arthur lead-off double who advanced to third with Kaleb Goodell sacrificing a ground ball to shortstop.  Next up was Garrett Harrison who sent a rocket to left center field for a double which scores Arthur. Harrison is left on base;  one – zip Klein Oak.

In the top of the second, Chase Barnett again sits down three Tigers in a row with two more strikeouts and a final put out by Austin Jackson at third base to first baseman Brent McMinn.  Andy Wilson leads off the second for the Panthers with a solid hit to right center field fence for a stand up double.  Austin Jackson then advances Wilson to third defending himself with a well placed bunt off of Collin’s flame thrower Austin Diechary, who threw a 90 mph fast ball that was headed for Jackson’s nose.  Collin’s dodged a bullet by retiring the side, leaving Wilson stranded on third base.

In the top of the third, leadoff batter Chris Marlon jacks it over the fence with only one strike on him to tie up the game 1-1.  The Tigers return to the top of their lineup with a single, a double and an error which puts the Tigers on top 3-1.  At the bottom of the third inning the Panthers went three up and three down.

At the top of the forth, the Panther saw four Tiger batters, with a fine defensive play at third base by Jackson who throws a laser to McMinn at first base making a  one hop scoop catch for out number two.  Barnett then strikes out Tigers pitcher Diechary for out number three leaving one man on base. Bottom of the fourth again brings up only three Panther batters, 1-3 Tigers going into the top of five.

Panthers return the favor to the Tigers by excusing the first three batters. Defensively shortstop Arthur makes a fine play on a ground ball and sends a one hop rope to McMinn who once again easily orders the ball in his glove for second out.  Panthers first baseman McMinn leads off the bottom of the fifth with a line drive to right field for a single. C.J. Manning battles with a two and two count, fouls off three balls but eventually flies out to left fielder for the first out.  Arthur then takes four balls, with Panthers on first and second Wes Theiss comes to the plate with a first pitch fast ball he strokes a line drive into left center field which scores both McMinn and Arthur for a new ball game. Tied 3-3 at the top of six.

Barnett returns to the mound for his last inning. In the sixth he sees four batters, with one hit and two plays by Theiss at second base, one of which Theiss scrambles out into shallow right field on the first base side picks up a grounder and fires a strike to McMinn for the second out. Barnett finishes his outing sitting down Tigers leadoff hitter Bates with his seventh strike out of the night. In the bottom of the six the Panthers have one out when Travis Walker rips a double down the left field line, but is left on base.

The top of the seventh brings in left- handed relief from right fielder Garrett Harrison, leaving Travis Walker to take over right field duties. Harrison takes command with an eleven pitch inning and retires three consecutive Tigers. The Panthers emulate the Tigers inning and with three ground outs in a row. Tie ball game, extra innings.

The top of the eighth Harrison continues his craft by hunting down the first three Tigers, with the first batter striking out, the second Tiger hitting a hard ground ball up the middle which Arthur robs him of a base hit by getting to the ball and making his patented sidearm laser flip to first baseman McMinn. Goodell makes the last out of the inning by catching a fly ball in center field. The Panthers are turned away with three sharply hit balls converted into outs by the Tigers.

Top of the ninth, Harrison strikes out the first Tiger. Second batter, Marlow, puts down a nice bunt and lands on first.  As the next batter strikes out, Marlow advances to second after a wild pitch.  Harrison then walks a Tiger while Marlow advances to third base. Two outs, man on first and third and the Panther decide to give Tigers starting pitcher Diechary a free base loading up the bases with two outs. Next batter, Tiger’s Stafford hits a well struck ball into right field which is caught by Walker for the third out. Bottom of the ninth brings up Walker with his second hit of the night and reaches to third base after a  Brent McMinn clutch single, his second hit of the night. Panthers cannot score a run and go into the top of the tenth with two men left on base.

Harrison climbs back on the hill for the Panthers and gets back to business by cutting down his first batter with a strike out.  The second batter flies out to shortstop Arthur and the third Tiger gets a base hit.   While attempting to steal second, the Tiger base runner is gunned down by Panther catcher  C.J. Manning who throws a strike to second base with Wes Theiss making a suburb scoop catch and swiftly tagging out the runner  for the end of the top of the tenth.  

The top of the Panthers lineup is up.  With one out Goodell patiently walks to first base, while leading off at first base the pitcher throws an errant pickoff attempt to the first basemen that ends up in right field.  Goodell advances to third base with only one out on the scoreboard.  The strategizing Tigers opt to give free bases to Theiss and Harrison to load up the bases.  The Tigers infield brings in the two corners, while the middle infield looks for the double play ground ball from Panther’s slugger Walker.  Walker swings and misses for an 0-2 count.  Coach Royce Kennedy puts the squeeze on.  Tigers pitcher, Stafford, winds up and advances his pitch to home while Goodell comes barreling down third base line toward home plate while Walker squares around for a bunt.  The pitch is low and Walker misses the ball which is in the dirt, but the Tiger catcher scoops the ball in his glove and lunges toward the advancing Goodell, who does a classic Texas two step around and finally over the catchers tag to get a safe call by the home plate umpire. The Panthers score a classic, hard fought, comeback victory to tie the Klein Collins Tigers in the district race with one game remaining. 

Nice show Panthers!