The Alba-Golden Panthers have quietly put together a great start to the spring baseball campaign, having rattled off a dozen straight wins and sitting atop the District 18-2A table.

They kept things rolling Friday with a 13-2 win over the visiting North Hopkins Panthers.   

The cold, gusting north wind had no effect on the home side. They put up four runs in the second, three in the third and six in the fourth with a well-balanced performance at the plate. 

Meanwhile, Conner Gibson put in four innings on the mound. In only 57 pitches, he gave up three hits, struck out eight and issued one free pass. He remained in control throughout. Mason Smith came on in the fifth to close out the win for Alba-Golden.

Michael Lacy got things started for the home side by lining the first pitch he faced to left field for a clean single. He was joined on the bases by Gibson, who was hit by a pitch – the first of three plunkings he received in the game – but both baserunners were left on base.

Alba-Golden took advantage of some free passes and used timely hitting to open the scoring in the second. Tucker Samples put a double through the right side of the infield, Glen Hartley recorded an RBI with a check swing single to right, and Smith put a ball in play on the ground which resulted in a run. 

Gibson smacked a ball down the third baseline, but the inning ended as Easton Campbell was gunned down trying to score from first on the play.    

North Hopkins managed a run in the top of the third, but Gibson drew on some extra juice to end the rally with a fastball strike-out.

The Alba-Golden attack continued in the third, taking advantage of two walks and a fielding error. A Luke Jones single through the left side, a Samples sacrifice fly and a Smith fielder’s choice generated three runs in the inning.  

Gibson set the visitors down in order in the fourth.

Consecutive base hits – a Texas Leaguer by Jones, a double by Boogie Trimble and a Samples’ single drove in three early in bottom half of the inning. An infield base hit by Campbell resulted in two more baserunners crossing the plate. 

North Hopkins scratched a single run across in the top of the fifth, but the required margin to truncate the game at five innings was maintained. 

Centerfielder Hartley made a nice catch on a deep liner to right-center for the final out. 

Head coach Jimmy Oxford will likely be working on pushing baserunners around the diamond as the Panthers left eight runners on base. That aside, he has to be pleased. The Panthers are playing cohesive baseball, with disciplined pitching, solid defense and the ability to put the bat on the ball. 

The next opportunity to see Alba-Golden at home will be Friday as they host Chapel Hill. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The latest poll from the Texas High School Baseball Coaches has the Panthers ranked sixth in the state in Class 2A.