SPRING GARDEN – Spring Garden senior Jackson Maddox was unfortunate to draw the starting pitching matchup with Westbrook Christian senior LSU signee Samuel Dutton in game one of their area series on Thursday.
Dutton threw a no-hitter in as the Panthers were 10-run ruled in six innings in their Class 2A, Area 12 baseball opener.
On Saturday afternoon at Spring Garden, Maddox got a little revenge, albeit at the plate.
Maddox delivered a walk-off single to left that scored senior catcher Luke Welsh, lifting the No. 7 Panthers to a 3-2 win over the top-ranked Warriors. It was his only hit of the game.
The Warriors (10-4, 2-1) rallied to take the second game on Saturday and win the series with a 5-4 victory.
But the day’s drama began with Maddox’s final at-bat in the first game.
“I just wasn’t getting the bat on the ball. I just couldn’t hit it, but I finally found it when we really needed it,” Maddox said. “We couldn’t have done it without Andrew Bates. Luke got it started, but Bates kept it going.”
As Maddox said, Welsh doubled to left to lead off the bottom of the seventh against Westbrook starter Will Noles. He advanced to third on a Bates pinch-hit bunt, then Maddox brought Welsh home.
After making a turn around first, Maddox was met by a leaping Weston Kirk into his arms. Kirk earned the win on the mound after working six innings. He gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts.
Noles was the tough-luck loser. He went the distance, scattering three runs on six hits with no walks and 14 strikeouts. He was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles.
“I can’t handle this no more. This is Cedar Bluff times two,” an emotional Spring Garden coach Tony Benefield said. “We’ve been working since January 4th or 5th on Westbrook. We knew what the scenario would be. We’ve been working on bunting since day one. The kids have bought into the bunting. Our biggest run innings this year have come off bunts, and again today, we got our first couple of hits off bunts.”
Left fielder Chapel Pope, center fielder Chaz Pope and second baseman Ryley Kirk posted those base-hit bunts in the bottom of the first to load the bases with no outs for the Panthers (9-7, 1-2). Welsh brought the Popes home on a double to left to give Spring Garden an early 2-0 lead.
The Warriors got a run back in the top of the second with two outs. Weston Kirk loaded the bases and walked No. 9 hitter Caiden Wyatt to bring home Brodie Self, who also walked to lead off the inning. However, the Panther senior pitcher got Warrior leadoff hitter Fisher Glasgow to strike out looking to end the threat.
The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fifth when the Warriors pushed across the tying run with two outs. Glasgow doubled to right center and scored on Dutton’s bloop single to left center.
After giving up single to center to Cole Patterson, Weston Kirk once again dug in to prevent any further damage by striking out Self to end the inning. Weston Kirk finally gave way to Panther reliver Landon Gowens in the seventh after he ran out of pitches.
Gowens picked up where his predecessor left off. He struck out the side in the top of seventh, setting the stage for Maddox’s walk-off hit.
Benefield said the Panthers dedicated the win to assistant baseball coach John Wilson, who recently had knee surgery.
“He came out this morning and saw the team,” Benefield said. “We said he was going to be our good luck charm today and he was.”
The Panthers couldn’t carry that luck into Saturday’s second game after losing a heartbreaker by a run.
Welsh, who went 2-for-3 in game one on Saturday, continued swinging a hot bat with a home run in the first inning. He also walked and had two RBIs.
Grayden Guthrie added a pair of hits. Weston Kirk and Chapel Pope both had a hit, a walk and scored a run. Weston Kirk also drove in a run. Ryley Kirk added a hit and a run. Chaz Pope and Maddox both finished with a hit apiece.
