LIBERTY VS ORANGFIELD

GAME 2

With their season on the line, the Liberty Panthers played sound baseball and gave state-ranked Orangefield all they could handle before falling to the Bobcats 2-1 in game two on Friday night.

Orangefield wins the series 2-0 and advances to the Area Championship Game this week against Navasota.

Mason Goudeau led the Panthers at the plate with three hits.

All the runs were scored in the first inning, with Liberty jumping out in front first.

Goudeau started the game off with an infield hit and then moved to second on a throwing error. Caleb Ingram had a single to plate Goudeau a couple of hitters later, and the Panthers led 1-0.

Orangefield then went to work in their first atbat with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to move in front 2-1.

The Bobcats put a runner on in the third inning, but a double play by Palmer Simeon at shortstop kept the bases empty.

Down 2-1 heading into their final at-bat, Liberty put a couple of runners on in the seventh as Cord Carter and Jaden Shimp each walked, but Orangefield’s Sowell ended the game with a couple of strikeouts to send his team to the second round of the playoffs.

Ingram got the start on the mound, and then Peyton Fregia entered in the second and pitched an inning.

Jace Smart came in during the third inning and pitched well, and finished the game on the mound for the Panthers. Smart finished with two strikeouts.