CAMDEN - Magnolia (9-6, 5-4) will go after its fourth consecutive 4A Region 8 Conference baseball victory this afternoon when it battles the Star City Bulldogs. Action at Panther Field is set to start at 4:30 p.m.
On Monday, the Panthers will host Hamburg and close the regular season at home against Warren on Thursday. With the top four teams from the league advancing to the Class 4A South Region Tournament in Magnolia in two weeks, the Panthers are currently sitting alone in third place and are a half game behind the Cardinals (7-10, 6-4).
On Wednesday, Magnolia overcame a 3-0 deficit and picked up a huge 4-3 road win over the Cardinals.
After giving up a single run in the first and two in the third inning, the Panthers battled back with two runs in the fourth and a pair in the fifth. The Panthers’ runs came off a Halen Sanders RBI-double, RBI-singles by Dayton Dickson and Adam Pieratt, who also scored on a ground-out by Kyle Carver.
Sanders started on the mound and went four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out eight batters, walking two and allowing only two hits. Brantley Cox worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out one with no hits allowed. It was his first win of the year. After walking a batter with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Cox gave way to Harrington, who recorded a strikeout and ground out to end the game. Harrington earned his first save of the season.
The Monticello Billies (14-4, 8-1) continue to hold the top spot in the standings. They are followed by Camden Fairview, Magnolia, Warren (9-9-1, 5-5), Star City (8-9, 4-5), Crossett (13-12, 4-6) and Hamburg (5-11-1, 1-8).