CHULA — Look out GIAA, Tiftarea Academy is heating up.

After a 1-5 start to the year, they now stand 8-10 and tied with Valwood and Deerfield-Windsor atop the region standings at 3-2. Tuesday, Ridley Monk hit a two-run single with two down in the eighth inning and the Panthers walked off a 3-2 victory over Deerfield-Windsor who, in contrast, is 11-4.

The Knights led 2-1 going into the bottom half, having broken a 1-1 tie following a one-out single by Grier Morey that drove in Gage Tomlinson. With runners on the corners, Deerfield-Windsor was on the cusp of an even larger inning, but Winston Lamb rolled a 6-4-3 double play and Tiftarea only had a run to get back.

It didn’t take long. After a flyout to open their half, the Panthers had Dawson Butler and Reed Jackson on base, both hit by pitches. Hayden Matthews came in to run for Butler.

Jackson Gray sacrificed both into scoring position, but there were now two outs and it was on the shoulders of Monk.

Monk came through with a single to right and head coach Chance Benson did not delay in giving the green light to Jackson to keep going as Matthews was tying the game. Jackson scored without a throw and everyone ran towards Monk at first to celebrate.

“It was fun,” said Benson after the contest.

Pitching was the story for the first seven frames, pitting Robert Garner of Tiftarea against David Hutchins of Deerfield-Windsor.

“Robert did what Robert does,” he said. “There were several times we made errors and let runners get on base and he just shut them down. They couldn’t do anything with him.”

Lamb was an equal contributor. “Winston loves closing,” said Benson.

The first inning was a bit different. Each team sent six to the plate and each scored a run. With wind whipping baseballs every which way, the Knights got a run from Gabe Daniel on a miscue. Jackson Parrish scored for the Panthers on a sacrifice fly by Robert Garner.

And that was it for scoring for regulation.

Robert Garner pitched out of danger in the third, fourth and fifth. In two of those innings, Deerfield had a runner at third. Garner used strikeouts to ease the pressure. He fanned 14 before running into the pitch count in the seventh.

Hutchins had fewer crises to avert. He had Reed Jackson on third and Gray on second in the fourth, but ended the inning with a strikeout.

Both nearly scored in the seventh. A two-out error but Deerfield’s Lan Wiggins at third and Collins Clark at second, but Winston Lamb, who came in relief of Robert Garner, got a crucial strikeout.

Tiftarea almost walked it off minutes later.

Monk singled to start off, but a bunt by Parrish was a bit too hard. Monk was erased and Parrish reached on a fielder’s choice. That was also the case with William Garner, who reached, but erased the runner at second. John Jackson was hit by a pitch, but Hutchins got out unscathed.

Deerfield-Windsor finally broke through in the eighth.

Hutchins got aboard on a single. Tomlinson bunted in the air but despite a barehand try by Robert Garner, the ball fell in. The Panthers caught a break when another bunt was fielded by Lamb, who threw to Robert Garner at third for the first out.

Unfortunately, Morey singled and the Knights up one with runners at the corners with one out. Then luck shifted Tiftarea’s way. The Knights were at the top of the order, but opted for a pinch hitter. A grounder went to Gray at shortstop and he turned the 6-4-3 double play to leave it 2-1, Deerfield.

“Quality at-bats,” Benson said has been his team’s secret in recent weeks.

Tiftarea Academy had 11 hits on the evening, two each by Monk, Parrish, William Garner, Reed Jackson and John Jackson. Monk drove in two.

Lamb’s two strikeouts gave Tiftarea pitching 16 total. Hutchins fanned four for the visitors.

Tiftarea will play at Deerfield-Windsor Friday.

One night earlier, Benson said the Panthers’ bats were on fire in a 13-5 blowout of Wilcox County in Rochelle.

John Jackson and Robert Garner homered. Jackson had a massive game with three hits and six RBIs.

Matthews and Jacob Joyner combined for the win.