CHULA — The regular season opener for the Tiftarea Academy Panther baseball team was ended early Tuesday night as the Deerfield Windsor Knights used heavy hitting to take advantage of the 10-run rule in the fifth inning. As a result, the Panthers were beaten at home by a final score of 14-4.
Deerfield used two infield errors, a walk, and a base hit in the top of the fifth to score the two runs that would ultimately force Tiftarea to score in order to continue play. The Panthers were unable to answer however, as they went down in order to end the game.
“This is a young bunch of guys,” Tiftarea head coach Chris Howell said. “We made some mistakes, but we have got a lot to build on. We’ll continue to grow.”
Deerfield jumped on Tiftarea’s left-handed starter Aaron Estes early in the first, scoring three runs on four hits before the first out was recorded.
Estes then settled down striking out three of his next six batters and sitting down the Deerfield batters in order.
The Panthers seemed as though they would make it a game when Estes started the bottom of the second with a double to left-center on the first pitch. After Will Smith was able to draw a walk and the runners advanced when a pitch eluded the Deerfield catcher, Tiftarea appeared to be catching fire with two runners in scoring position and no outs.
Play was then halted for half an hour due to a malfunction with the field’s lights. When play resumed Case Pack and designated hitter Brandon Cunningham fell victim to strikeouts, while Will Smith popped out in foul territory to endthe second inning, and the Panthers’ scoring opportunity.
“We have to be able to stay hot and be ready to play at all times,” Howell said. “That’s baseball. If the lights had any affect then it was on Aaron as he had just seemed to be getting into his rhythm.”
Deerfield went back to work in the top of the third when Estes walked the leadoff batter putting him into position for Deerfield’s Christopher Moates to bring him around on a two-run home run to left center. After giving up two more hits and walking two in a row to bring in a run, Estes was relieved by junior Clayton Dukes who made his varsity pitching debut with the bases loaded, and a 6-0 deficit.
Dukes outing was short-lived, as he was relieved by Smith, who would finish the day’s mound duties, after four runs were plated on two walks and a two-run single to right.
“Our pitching has got to improve,” Howell said. “We have to learn to pitch with a purpose and find a rhythm.”
Deerfield was able to push across one run on Smith before he retired the side bringing Tiftarea’s deficit to 11-0.
Tiftarea was able to get on the board in the third when leadoff batter Eric Lee drew a walk, and Chandler Hammond reached on an infield error. Sumner McWhorter and Clay Tapp were both able to draw walks plating Lee for Tiftarea’s first run of the 2010 season. After Smith delivered with a hit to left field and the Panther’s plated two more, the inning ended with the Panthers trailing 11-4.
Deerfield was able to plate three more runs in the fifth, and when Tiftarea was unable to answer with one of their own, the game was called due to the mercy rule with Tiftarea on the small end of a 14-4 final score.
“I have to give it to them, they have a good team with some lively hitters” Howell said. “We just came up on the short end this time.”
Estes was credited with the loss striking out four, and walking three in 2 and 2/3s innings.
The Panthers play host to Crisp Academy out of Cordele today at 4 p.m.
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