The 11-2 win over the Big Sandy Wildcats was just what the Alba-Golden Panthers needed as they prepare for their playoff run. The Panthers used a solid pitching rotation, excellent defense and good work at the plate in recording the home win last Tuesday. 

The game started with two excellent plays in the field. Easton Samples closed out the top of the first with a “Top Ten” play on a sharply hit ground ball. Samples fielded the ball behind third base, several feet behind the bag along the foul-line, pivoted and snapped a long throw to first which was spot on.  

In the top of the second, Panther first baseman Landon Dunham, leapt high to snag a throw which everyone thought was unreachable. Dunham was sweeping to tag the runner rushing-by before his feet hit the ground. The play saved a run.

The two sequences were indicative of the game for Alba-Golden. They played aware, aggressive baseball.

Mason Smith got the start for Alba-Golden. He set down the Wildcats in order in the first.

Easton Samples led off for the Panthers and sent the first pitch into center field for a clean single. He stole second with a great jump on the pitch. Cason Boyd reached on a walk, and Boogie Trimble’s double to right-center drove in two runs. Trimble would come in to score on a long sacrifice fly off the bat of Smith.

Alba-Golden took a 3-1 lead into the third. Smith encountered some control issues in the third and yielded to Tucker Samples on the mound. Samples struck out six of the 12 batters he faced and gave up no runs and no hits in his three innings of work.

The Panthers added a run in the fourth and one in the fifth, then broke the game open in the sixth inning. They batted-around, recording five hits and taking advantage of three Wildcat fielding errors. 

A classic 5-4-3 (Easton Samples to Boyd to Dunham) double-play ended the top of the fifth. It was textbook play, executed with confidence.

Dunham came in to close the seventh. He struck out the side in 10 pitches, and Alba-Golden had notched a satisfying win. 

The Panthers finish district play this week with a home and away series against district-leading Como-Pickton.