Tiftarea Academy players run to the left field fence to greet fans after 3-2 comeback victory over Deerfield-Windsor.

CHULA – Tiftarea Academy head baseball coach Chance Benson said Cain Cooper wanted the ball for Tuesday’s game against Deerfield-Windsor. Cooper said he wanted another crack at the Knights following an 11-5 loss in 2017.

Cooper’s ball it was Tuesday and at the end of seven innings, he was the winning pitcher as the Panthers defeated Deerfield-Windsor, 3-2.

The save went to Grant Hall and it was far from a pitching stat. Down 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Hall drilled a single over first base that drove in two runs.

It was appropriate, said Benson, that a pair of seniors came up with the big plays on Senior Night. Five Panthers – Cooper, Hall, Bret Benard, Jackson Lee and Dawson Patterson – were honored before the game.

The win gave Tiftarea a game advantage in GISA Region 3-AAA. They came into the game tied with Deerfield-Windsor for first place. If the Panthers win Friday in Albany, they win the region championship. In case of a loss, Benson said the Panthers’ fate depends on how Southland Academy and Brookwood School do in their series.

“We’ve assured ourselves of second,” he said.

Jack Kimbrel gave up a first inning run to Tiftarea, but had shut them down in the innings after. He was still on the hill at the start of the sixth inning and quickly recorded the first out on a grounder.

The Panthers’ rally began on a ground ball hit by Casen Royal to second. It was bobbled and Royal was able to make it to first base safely.

Kimbrel came back with a strikeout for the second out and Tiftarea’s tying run was three bases away.

Royal took an extended lead from first as Will Matt worked the count full, to 3-2. Royal was running when Matt slapped a ball up the middle and made it all the way to third on the hit. That was the end of the night for Kimbrel, who gave way to reliever Clarke Sullivan.

Matt advanced to second on a wild pitch, then the bases filled when pinch hitter Render Robbins was hit by a pitch.

That brought up Hall, who delivered a low line drive over first base. Royal and Matt scored, turning the one-run deficit into a 3-2 advantage.

Tiftarea grounded out to end the inning and had to return to the field with a one-run lead to protect for the next inning.

Cooper pitched the first six frames for Tiftarea and Hall entered for the final Deerfield at-bats.

Hall struck out his first man and got a groundout for the second out. The third Knight walked, but a ground ball to shortstop secured the victory.

Benson said the heart-pounding ending tested his endurance.

“I might have shaved 30 years off my life,” he said.

Hall, too, was a bit shaky.

“I was nervous,” he said. Hall called the single the biggest hit of his life.

The only man who wasn’t nervous Tuesday might have been Cooper.

Tiftarea scored first, a single by Brandon Prudhomme in the opening inning that brought home Bernard. Bernard was a courtesy runner for Hunter Hartsfield, who delivered a base hit earlier in the inning.

Deerfield-Windsor went ahead in the second on a two-RBI double by Drew Dixon with two outs. The Knights’ baserunners were Baylin Moore and Drew Reich, Moore leading off the inning with a double of his own.

After that inning, Cooper couldn’t be rattled.

He struck out eight men and ended three innings that way. Cooper gave up two hits total, both in the second inning. Only three Deerfield players reached base over Cooper’s final four frames.

Hall had three of Tiftarea’s eight hits for the game and stole two bases. Nate Fortson added a two-hit night.

Prudhomme is expected to be the starting pitcher at Deerfield Friday.

Far from being big in the region standings, it was a streak-breaker for Tiftarea. They had last defeated Deerfield-Windsor on April 28, 2014. No current Panthers played in that game, though Hall was promoted to varsity later in the season.

Benson said his seniors had made a huge difference for him as a first-year head coach.

“It means everything to have them buy into the program,” he said.