By Dave Linton

The Brookhaven Panthers continued their winning streak Saturday when they hosted Lawrence County and Enterprise for two critical area matchups. Brookhaven squeezed out a 6-5 win over the Cougars, giving Lawrence County their first loss of the season. Brookhaven played Enterprise in the second game and walked away with an easy 8-1 victory.

Brookhaven 6,

Lawrence County 5

Despite both teams putting runners on base in the first, neither team took advantage as the inning went scoreless. Lawrence County got the first run of the game on an inside the park homerun. Lawrence County’s Prentiss Anderson followed with a double, then a hard hit brought Anderson home to make it 2-0.

With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Brookhaven sophomore John Hilbert hit a two-run RBI double to tie the game. The Panthers scored again on a wild pitch to quickly take the 3-2 lead. Brookhaven scored the final two runs in the bottom of the second, before Lawrence County got out of the inning. Brookhaven led 5-2.

With no outs and runners on first and second in the top of the third, Lawrence County scored on a bad throw to third base to cut the deficit to 5-3. The Cougars followed up with an RBI single from Anderson to make it 5-4 Brookhaven.

Brookhaven scored its final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Hilbert hit an RBI single to center field to make it 6-4.

Lawrence County would threaten in the top of the seventh— a wild throw brought them within one. Lawrence County couldn’t bring the tying run in and Brookhaven got the win 6-5.

Senior Tate Walley picked up the win for Brookhaven by throwing six innings, giving up one earned run on seven hits, two walks and striking out five batters. Cocker Wright pitched one inning in relief for the Panthers.

Brookhaven 8, Enterprise 1

With the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, Enterprise scored its only run of the game on a dropped third strike that got by the catcher to score the run from third.

Senior Penn Wilson led off the bottom of the second for Brookhaven with a double to right field. The Panthers scored their first two runs on a wild throw to home plate to make it 2-1. Junior Tyler Mixon brought in the Panthers’ third run on a single to left field, before Enterprise got out of the inning.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, the Panthers scored again when sophomore Lane Smith was hit by a pitch to make it 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Brookhaven scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1. In the top of the fifth, the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases, but the Panthers got out of the jam without allowing a run to score.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, the Panthers scored their final runs of the game on two-run RBI single by junior Johnny Bowman, and the Panthers took home the victory 8-1.

Wilson was the winning pitcher for the Panthers, throwing seven innings, giving up one earned run on three hits, one walk and striking out 10 batters.