Cain Cooper (right) bashes fists with Jackson Lee Friday afternoon after Cooper's two-run homer to left field gave Tiftarea a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cooper batted in three runs for the day and earned a save in the Panthers' 4-2 win over Maclay, Fla.

CHULA — The diamond debut for the 2018 Tiftarea Academy Panthers and new head coach Chance Benson was a successful one Thursday as they defeated visiting Maclay, Fla., 4-2.

Cain Cooper was the star of the night for the Panthers. The senior clubbed a first inning pitch over the fence for a two-run home run. He picked up another RBI in the fifth inning and came in as a pitcher in the seventh to record the save.

Dawson Patterson started on the hill for Tiftarea, struck out five hitters in four innings of work and allowed no runs.

Maclay’s record evened at 1-1 with the loss. Thursday, the Marauders defeated Godby (Fla.), 17-1. Benson called Maclay a “quality opponent” and was eager to schedule them again.

“They’re a class act,” he said.

Patterson allowed a leadoff hit to Drew Hermeling to start the first inning. Hermeling took second on an infield grounder, but was soon erased on a play Benson said gave the Panthers momentum for the game.

Matt Boynton flew out to McRay Lentz in centerfield. Hermeling tagged up and headed for third, but Lentz’s throw to Hayden Murphy was on target and Hermeling was thrown out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Grant Harrison retired the first two Tiftarea batters he faced, but Hunter Hartsfield earned a walk. Cooper promptly smashed a ball over the left-center fence, scoring himself and Hartsfield’s courtesy runner, Jackson Lee.

With Patterson finding his groove in the second frame, the Panthers again went to work in the bottom half. Patterson worked a walk. Bret Bernard, who ran for him, swiped second base then moved to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Colby Grant hit a fly deep enough to center to allow Bernard to trot home.

Patterson ran into trouble in the fourth, but another big defensive play allowed him to avoid damage.

Hermeling singled to start and the bases soon loaded with one out when Boynton walked and Matt Caballero was hit by a pitch. Fortunately a hit up the middle went right into Grant’s glove. He stepped on second for the out, then threw to Casen Royal at first for a double play.

“Our gloves saved us tonight,” Benson said.

Tiftarea tacked on its fourth run in the fifth, courtesy of more two-out magic.

Hartsfield blooped a double to center and Cooper followed up with a single that scored courtesy runner Lee.

Maclay scored both of its runs in the sixth. Hal Vanlandingham singled in Cabellero and Zach Karpinski drove in Jason Norris.

Eighth grader Murphy also pitched in the game. With Patterson helping to talk him through a jam, Murphy struck out two hitters. Murphy also impressed Benson with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that turned into a base hit when it came to a stop on the chalk of the first base line.

Harrison pitched four innings for Maclay and struck out four hitters.

Tiftarea won’t see action again until a home game next Thursday against Stratford Academy of Macon. Next Friday, they travel to Trinity Christian of Sharpsburg, the school that eliminated them from the 2017 GISA state playoffs. Stratford and Tiftarea last met when the Panthers swept them in the 2014 GISA Class AAA state semifinals. Stratford now competes in the Georgia High School Association.