FAYETTEVILLE - The final chapter of Magnolia's storybook season did not have the happy ending the Panthers were looking for.
The Panthers were denied back-to-back state championships on Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville as the Vilonia Eagles handed theM only their second loss of the season, 9-2 in the finals of the 5A State Tournament.
Magnolia was riding an 18-game winning streak going into the championship, but the couldn't overcome a fast start by the Eagles in their bid for another state championship.
Matt Goodheart started on the mound for the Panthers and ran into early trouble.
Chris Bass led off for Vilonia with a single and Nick Howard followed with a walk.
With one out, Vilonia executed a double steal and Bass scored when Panther catcher Dayton Dickson overthrew third on the steal attempt.
Zak Whitis doubled home a run for Vilonia and scored on an infield out to give the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
Magnolia looked to answer in the bottom of the first as Jay French walked to start the inning, and moved to second as Kurt Pletcher was hit by a pitch.
Goodheart doubled to score French, and the Panthers looked for more with runners at second and third with no outs.
The rally ended there as Parker Ribble hit a soft liner that was snagged by Eagle pitcher Cody Mitchell. Pletcher ventured too far off third on the play and Mitchell fired to third to double up Pletcher. Dickson then struck out to end the inning, leaving the score 3-1 Vilonia after one inning.
The Eagles picked up in the second where the left off in the first, scoring four more runs to chase Goodheart from the mound. Jay French came in and gave up one hit before squelching the rally but the score was now 7-1 Vilonia.
The Panthers threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with no outs.
Brooks Lynch doubled to start the inning. French and Pletcher drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Goodheart then lined a shot to the right of Eagle shortstop Jordan Chandler. But Chandler made a diving catch, and threw to second to double off French effectively ending the rally.
Both teams scored one run in the fifrth. The Panthers run came as Pletcher started a two-out rally by being hit by a pitch. Goodheart singled to move Pletcher to third, and Ribble drove home Pletcher with a single.
Magnolia's only other threat came in the bottom of the the sixth. Dale Drake came off the bench to deliver a one-out pinch hit double.
Connor Harrington walked putting runners at first and second. A wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third, but back to back strikeouts to Lynch and French ended the inning.
Vilonia added an unearned run in the seventh to close the scoring out at 9-2.
Goodheart took the loss on the mound, his first of the season against eight wins. He went 1 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits, striking out one and walking one.
French pitched the final 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one of which was unearned. He struck out five, walked three and allowed three hits.
Offensively, Goodheart led the Panthers with two hits, one of which was a double.
Lynch and Drake also had doubles. Ribble had a single and two walks. Pletcher drew a walk and reach twice when he was hit by a pitch. French had two walks and Harrington reached once on a walk.
Magnolia finishes the year with a record of 27-2. This was the Panthers' 21st consecutive trip to the 5A state baseball tournament.
Since 2011, Magnolia has made five quarterfinal appearances, four final four appearances, been in the finals three times and won two state championships.