Things started out poorly and then got worse for the North Hopkins Panthers in the Bland Tournament against S&S Consolidated Thursday, March 5.
S&S scored two runs in the first, seven more in the second and 5 runs in the third to open up a 14-0 lead after 3 innings. The Panthers got a single run in the top of the fourth but that was all in the 14-1 S&S win. The Rams outhit the Panthers 7 to 3. The Panthers committed 5 costly errors while S&S had 2.
For the Panthers, Jessie Rivera, Brycen Gillespie and Karson Jenkins all had a hit. Rivera scored the run and Gillespie drove him in.
Dakota Smith got the start for North Hopkins and took the loss. Smith went 2 innings, allowing 7 hits but, only 4 earned runs, with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Tate Myers went 1 inning allowing 0 hits and 4 unearned runs with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. Both pitchers hit two batters.
