Magnolia tried to claw its way back in, but came up short 5-4 to league-leading Camden Fairview Tuesday at Panther Field.
The Panthers (7-3, 3-2 4A-8 Conference) fell behind by four runs in the top of the fourth inning, but couldn’t catch the Cardinals (9-2, 6-2 4A-8 Conference) after scoring in the bottom half along with crossing the plate in the fifth and sixth innings. They stranded 10 runners on base during the game.
The one-run loss to the Cardinals dropped Magnolia to a tie for third place with Warren in the league standings, with Star City holding the second spot with a 2-1 mark. The Panthers also fell by one run to the Bulldogs.
After a nonconference game in Texarkana today, the Panthers will return to league action Friday when they host Hamburg, who is winless so far on the season.
Against Camden Fairview, starting pitcher Seth Edwards sat the Cardinal batters down in order in the first inning. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half, as Eli Fields singled and stole the next two bases. He was brought home on an RBI double by Dalen Blanchard.
The Cardinals tied the game 1-1 on an RBI single in the second. Cade Browning and Jayson Thomas singled for the Panthers in the bottom half, but the home team left two runners on base.
An error led the Camden Fairview taking a 2-1 advantage in the third.
Edwards, with the bases loaded and one out, got the Panthers out of a jam when he struck out the next two Cardinal batters.
In the fourth, Camden Fairview sent seven batters to the plate, scoring three runs off four hits.
Magnolia’s run in the fourth came on a sacrifice fly by Edwards and the Panthers scored in the fifth on a RBI single by Zander Taylor. Tanner Nielsen had a lead-off double, while Browning and Ethan Franks provided singles.
The Panthers closed the gap to 5-4 in the sixth on an RBI single by Hunter Buford.
Nielsen pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, setting down the Cardinal batters in order during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He also had two hits and scored a run. Thomas also had two hits and a walk, while Fields singled and walked. Blanchard also drew a couple of walks along with his RBI double.