Alba-Golden swept the area softball series Thursday and Saturday over Frankston in Tyler.

The Lady Panthers advance to the regional semifinals to face Shelbyville. The first game was Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Bullard with game two also at 6 in Bullard on Thursday.

If a third game is needed it will be back at Tyler Legacy on Friday. 

The Lady Panthers survived two big Frankston rallies to edge the Lady Maidens 12-11 on Saturday to take the best-of-3 series.

The Alba-Golden bats were working as they pounded out 15 hits.

The Lady Panthers broke on top 5-0 in the top of the second only to see Frankston rally for seven runs in the bottom half.

Though Frankston had only seven hits on the night, the Lady Maidens also drew six walks while Alba-Golden committed four errors, leading to five unearned runs.

Alba-Golden tied it with two runs in the fifth and retook the lead 8-7 with a run in the sixth. Four more runs in the top of the seventh appeared to give Alba-Golden a cushion, but Frankston forced across four runs in the bottom of the inning before the Lady Panthers could put it away.

Averi Stevenson went 3-4, and with two hits each were Jayla Sitar, Joecey Lewers, Alexis Wilmut, Lilly Thorn and Faith Graham, who also drove in three runs.

Adielyn Smith pitched the complete game and struck out 11.

The first game started like a runaway, got tight in the middle, then the Lady Panthers closed it out, 9-5.

Frankston opened with three up and down as Alba-Golden pitcher Smith controlled the game early. 

Her teammates helped stake her to a quick 5-0 lead, two of which she drove in herself as the first five batters reached base and scored.

Sitar and Stevenson singled and Lewers loaded the bases, reaching on a bunt. Smith’s single to center was followed by Wilmut’s 2-RBI double, and she scored on Thorn’s grounder to third.

Frankston got a runner to third in the second inning who was stranded on a pop to short and strike out.

Alba-Golden expanded the lead as Sitar once again opened the inning with a single.

She was forced out on a grounder, but Lewers reached on an infield hit, and she and Stevenson came in on Smith’s triple to right. Wilmut plated her on a ground out.

It was 8-0 with Alba-Golden cruising.

That’s when the wheels tried to come off.

A full-swing bunt to Smith led to a lengthy game delay when Smith’s throw to first short-hopped Wilmut and jammed her finger.

Two walks loaded the bases as Smith’s control wavered.

A grounder up the middle that could have led to one or two outs was misplayed, letting two runs score.

Smith got the first out with a strike out, but consecutive singles cut the lead to 8-4. Another strike out was followed by a walk to load the bases, but Smith quelled the rally with the third strike out of the inning.

Thorn beat out a grounder off the first baseman but was doubled up by a ball hit directly to the second baseman. An infield hit and walk kept the inning alive, but it ended on a fly to center.

Wilmut made the defensive play of the game to thwart a Frankstion threat in the fourth. After a walk and the runner advanced to second, a hard smash up the first base line looked to have RBI potential when Wilmut climbed the ladder to track down the shot and easily threw to second for the double play.

Smith’s one-out single led to a runner on second for A-G, but died there on a fly and ground out.

Frankston tried to make it a game to open the fifth, but a mental error ended the threat.

A lead off single resulted in a runner to third followed by a walk and an error for a run and baserunners at first and third.

After the runner advanced to second, Smith recorded a strikeout but then another walk to load the bases, putting the tying run aboard.

After another Smith strike out, the Frankston runners appeared to think there were three outs and started off the field, with Alba-Golden throwing to second to record the actual third out.

The Lady Panthers went in order in the fifth to leave the tally at 8-5.

Frankston got a runner on with an infield error, but the inning ended quickly on two infield plays.

Alba-Golden grabbed a little insurance in the sixth after Sitar and Stevenson each hit hard smashes right at infielders for two quick outs. Lewers walked and Smith’s hit down the right field line brought her home.

Frankston got the lead runner on in the 7th with a single, followed by a fielder’s choice from Sitar to Sadie Wright and a strike out, with the runner taking second.

A quick time out was followed by a routine grounder from Wright to Wilmut to end it.