The Panthers baseball family would like to invite our PAC family to Senior Night this Friday night at Bray Park as the Varsity baseball takes on the Upstate Eagles at 6:00 in the last home game of the 2017 season.  Pregame festivities will begin at 5:30 as we honor nine Seniors who will be leaving the program after this season.  If you have never attended a Panther baseball game, this would be a great time to experience the good baseball, fun and music of Panther baseball.

This game as been designated as “Beach Night” and all attendees are encouraged to wear their loudest beach shirts.  After the game, everyone will be invited down to the infield to help the Panthers celebrate the Senior’s contributions to our program.  We will be playing beach music and, who knows, maybe we can get some experts to show the rest of us how to shag.  We will be offering ice cream sundaes (while supplies last) to all who join us on the infield after the game.  Donations will be accepted.

We will be operating a canteen with cold drinks and snacks during the game.

Bray Park is located at 280 Bray Park Road, West Columbia, SC  29172.

We hope to see you there.

Panthers – 10                     Richard Winn – 0

The Panthers rebounded from the loss to Augusta Christian to a win a rain soaked game against the Eagles from Richard Winn. After holding the Eagles scoreless in the top of the first inning, the Panthers exploded out of the gate by plating four runs.  John Edens doubled to start things off and then stole third base.  Parker Pocock was walked and stole second.  Cal Hucks walked to load the bases with one out.  Danny Waller slapped a line drive to right field that the Eagle right fielder misplayed allowing the Panthers to empty the bases with Danny ending up on third.  Danny scored on a sacrifice fly by Avery Blevins.

John scored his second run in as many innings when he was walked and stole second and third. James Reed singled to score John and to move Parker to third after Parker had reached on a walk.  Parker then scored on a sacrifice fly by Cal Hucks.  After two innings, the Panthers led 6-0.

Parker scored his third run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. He scorched a line drive to center field.  The center fielder rushed in to field the ball but the ball skipped on the wet grass, bouncing over the charging fielder’s glove and kept rolling until it nestled up against the fence in dead center field.  Parker kept chugging around the bases and reached home before the Eagle fielder’s were able to retrieve the ball and get it back in the infield.

The field conditions were continuing to worsen as it had drizzled since the second inning and the game was now in the bottom of the fifth. Several people helped work on the field between innings to keep it in a playable condition (special thanks to Caleb Reed, Clint Lawyer and Kim Pocock) but it was getting to the point where the game would need to be stopped for safety reasons.  The Panthers were three runs short of ending the game on their own so they went out and scored three runs.  Danny Waller, Caleb Green and Austin Coates all received walks to load the bases but there were two outs.  John Edens hit his second double of the game to plate the first two runs.  Parker received a walk to reload the bases.  James then drew a walk to force in Austin with the game ending run.

The Panthers only had six hits on the night with John leading the way with two doubles. Others with hits include Parker (a single with three walks), James Reed (single), Danny (single) and Avery (single).  John and Danny had two RBI’s and Parker scored three runs.

Matthew Derrick was the winning pitcher for PAC, improving his record to 2-2. He only allowed on hit on the night while striking out five and walking four.

The win improves the Panthers record to 16-7.

Panthers – 6                       Augusta Christian – 12

A modest four game winning streak by the Panther varsity baseball squad came crashing to a halt on Tuesday night as the Lions of Augusta Christian stalked the Panthers at Bray Park and walked away with a victory. The Panthers struck first by plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning after holding the Lions scoreless in the top of the inning.  John Edens reached on an error and went second on a passed ball.  He advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Parker Pocock and scored on an error by the Lion right fielder which also allowed Cal Hucks to reach base safely.  Danny Waller doubled with two outs to drive in Cal.

The Lions responded immediately by scoring four runs in the top of the second on the strength of three hits, including a double and a triple. They added two more runs in the top of the third inning on three more hits and a Panther error.

John and Parker both scored in the bottom of the fifth inning to get the Panthers back with striking distance (6-4 Lions). Both singled with two outs and then both scored on a double to deep left center field by James Reed.

Augusta Christian put the game away in the top of the seventh inning when they plated six runs. They got the bases loaded with no outs and then everything went wrong for the Panthers.  The Panthers committed three errors in the inning but the Lions helped their own cause with three hits in the inning, only one of which got out of the infield.  The Panthers tried to mount a comeback and scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh but the hole they were in was just too deep to climb out of.  Will Lawyer led off the inning with a double and Jacob Robinson came in to pinch run for him.  Jacob scored on a double by Parker Pocock.  Parker then scored on a triple by Cal Hucks.

Parker and Will Lawyer led the Panthers at the plate with two hits apiece, with both hitting a single and a double. Cal Hucks contributed a triple and James Reed and Danny Waller both connected for doubles.  John Edens had the only other hit for PAC.  The Panthers only had ten productive at bats against their per game goal of fourteen.

Matthew Derrick was the starting pitcher for PAC. He pitched five innings allowing six runs, three of which were earned.  He gave up eight hits while striking out two.  Will Lawyer pitched the final two innings.  He gave up six unearned runs on three hits.  He walked one batter and struck out two.

The loss drops the Panthers record to 15-7.

Spring/Summer Camps will be held on M, T, TH, and F the weeks of May 22-26 and June 19-23 with an INTER-SQUAD GAME and COOKOUT to be held on Saturday June 24.

We will remain playing 8-man tackle football.  This year we will field two Teams, MS/JV team and Varsity.

All PAC eligibility guidelines apply to all players. The schedule is still being developed but opponents will consist of other homeschool teams and teams from various private schools.

Please mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more information.

To be added to our direct email list, please contact stephen@hucksandfelker.com.

Panthers – 6       Calhoun County High School – 5

The Panthers persevered on Monday night and won a hard fought game against the Saints from Calhoun County High School on Monday night. They needed to persevere as they immediately went down to the Saints by 4-0 after the first inning.  They persevered because they kept fighting their way back, eventually taking the lead in the fourth inning only to see the Saints tie the game back up.  They persevered as they fought to retake the lead in very last inning and then they still had to give the Saints one more at bat until they could come off of the field victorious.

As stated earlier, the Saints plated four in the bottom of the first inning after the Panthers had been retired in order in the top of the frame. Their leadoff batter reached after taking ball four.  Their next batter singled to put runners at first and third.  An error by the Panther pitcher allowed the first Saints run to score.  An error by the Panther shortstop allowed the second Saints run to score and put another runner in scoring position.  The second Saint hit of the inning plated the third run and the third hit of the inning plated the fourth run.  Three hits by the Saints and three Panther errors had put the Panthers in a deep hole to begin the game but the Panther varsity baseball squad has a resiliency about it that really can’t be taught by coaches.  It has to come from within and from learned experience in games like this.  Hopefully this lesson can be applied later in life by the players to situations when things aren’t always going according to plan.

The Panthers began the long road back in the top of the second. Cal Hucks drew a walk and then scored on a long double by Matthew Derrick.  After holding the Saints scoreless in the bottom of the second, the Panthers added a few more runs to their total in the top of the third.  John Edens was hit by a pitch with one out putting him at first base.  After a strikeout, James Reed came to bat and hit the first home run for the Panthers this season, scoring two runs and bringing the Panthers to within one (4-3 Saints lead).

The Panthers took their first lead in the top of the fourth. Danny Waller led off with a double to right center field.  Matthew Derrick received a free pass to first, advancing Danny to second.  Avery Blevins singled to left for his first hit of the night to score Danny and to move Matthew to third.  Matthew later scored on a ground out by William Lawyer giving the Panthers a temporary 5-4 lead.  The Saints responded immediately to tie the game at five taking advantage of two walks and one single to score their run.

So the game was tied after four innings, which set up an exciting conclusion of the game. Neither team was able to score in the fifth or sixth innings so the teams moved to the seventh still tied at five.  Here the scrappy Panthers really showed their mettle to push one across and give them the lead.  John Edens led off with a walk but was promptly erased at second when Danny Waller hit into a fielder’s choice.  James Reed hit an infield single to advance Danny over to second.  Cal Hucks was next and fought off several good pitches before slapping a bouncing grounder through the hole between third and short.  It wasn’t hit very hard or far, but it was enough to score Danny from second and the Panthers had the lead again (6-5).  The Saints got a runner as far as third in the bottom of the seventh, but could not push him across so the game ended with him stranded there.

The Panthers had ten hits in the game. James Reed had two; a single and a homerun and drove in two runs.  Cal Hucks and Avery Blevins both had two singles.  Matthew Derrick and Danny Waller both doubled.  Others with hits include John Edens and McKinley Proctor.  The Panthers reached their per game goal of fourteen productive at-bats in securing the victory.

James Reed was the starting pitcher for PAC. He pitched five innings allowing five runs; three of which were earned.  He was followed to the mound by Danny Waller (5-0).  Danny pitched the final two innings only allowing one hit.  He struck out one and walked one.

No rest for the weary as the Panthers take to the diamond once again tonight against Augusta Christian at Bray Park for their last game before Easter break. This will be their fourth game in as many days.  Someone needs to take a big stick to whoever schedules their games.  After this, the team will take a well deserved rest before coming back together as a team next Monday night for practice.

Panthers – 11                     Savannah Hurricanes – 1

The Panthers improved to 13-6 by pounding the Hurricanes 11-1 in a game shortened to five innings due to the ten run rule.  The Panthers jumped on the Hurricanes early by plating five runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Parker Pocock led off with a single.  Danny Waller hit a single to left field which the left fielder let scoot under his glove and go all the way to the fence.  Parker scored on the play and Danny made it all the way to third.  James Reed reached base on an error by the Hurricanes third baseman with Danny staying at third on the play.  James immediately stole second base.  Cal Hucks grounded out to score Danny and move James to third.  Matthew Derrick hit a sacrifice fly to score James making the score 3-0.  Avery Blevins started a two out rally by hitting a single to left field.  Avery sprinted to second when the Hurricane pitcher tried to pick him off at first but threw the ball just out of the first baseman’s reach.  Caleb hit an infield single to push Avery over to third.  Caleb stole second base and then Avery scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-0.  Will Lawyer singled to drive in Caleb for the last run of the inning.

The Panthers added a single run in the bottom of the second when Danny Waller singled went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Matthew Derrick. The Panthers effectively ended the game in the third inning when they scored another five runs.  McKinley Proctor singled with one out, stole second base and scored on a double by William Lawyer.  William went to third on a single by Parker Pocock and scored on an error by the Hurricane pitcher.  Parker scored on a double by Danny Waller and then Cal reached on an error putting two runners on base, but with two outs.  Avery came through with a clutch single to plate both Danny and Cal making the score 11-0 after three innings.

The Hurricanes scored their lone run in the top of the fourth. They were held scoreless in the fifth inning and the game ended early allowing both teams a little rest before the second game of the double header.

Will Lawyer evened his record at 3-3 with the victory. He allowed three hits and did not walk a batter.  Danny Waller paced the twelve hit Panther attack with three (two singles and a double).  He scored three runs and knocked in one RBI.  Others with multiple hits included Parker, Avery and Will.  Will had a single and a double.  Parker also scored two runs and Avery and Will both knocked in two runs.

Panthers – 11                     Savannah Hurricanes – 6

The second game of the double header was closer than the first but the Panthers prevailed once again to raise their record to 14-6. The Hurricanes struck first pushing two runs across in the top of the first inning on two hits.  Panther pitching helped the Hurricanes along by walking one batter and hitting two others.

The Panthers answered right back in a big way by scoring six runs on the strength of seven straight hits. Parker and Danny both singled and both scored on a triple by James Reed.  Cal singled to score to score James. Cal advanced to second on a single by Matthew and then a wild pitch moved Cal to third and Matthew to second.  Avery doubled to drive in both Cal and Matthew.  Avery scored on a single to center by McKinley Proctor which the Hurricane center fielder whiffed on allowing it to go all the way to dead center field.  McKinley rocketed around the bases to score on the three base error.  After one inning, the Panthers led 6-2.

The Hurricanes plated three more runs to the top of the second inning to make the score 6-5 Panthers. They did this without the benefit of a hit as the Panthers made two errors and Panther pitching hit another Hurricane batter.  When the Panthers came to the plate, Parker was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the second.  Danny tripled to plate Parker and James hit a sacrifice fly to score Danny making the score 8-5 Panthers after two.

After holding the Hurricanes scoreless in the top of the third, the Panthers added to their lead by scoring one run in the bottom of the frame. McKinley walked, stole second base and took third when the throw from the catcher went into center field.  Will Lawyer then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Parker.  After three innings, it was the Panthers 9-5.

The Hurricanes scored their last run of the game in the top of the fourth. A single and a steal of second put a runner in scoring position at second base.  A clutch hit scored that run but the Panthers shut the Hurricanes down and escaped any additional damage.  James Reed got the run back for the Panthers in the bottom of the frame.  He singled to left field, stole second base and then third and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 10-6 after four innings.

Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning and the Panthers plated their last run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cal reached on a two base error by the Hurricane third baseman and scored on a double by Matthew Derrick.  The Hurricanes went quietly in the top of the seventh and the Panthers celebrated their 14^th win.

James Reed and Matthew Derrick both had three hits; James with a single, double and a triple and Matthew with two singles and a double. James also scored two runs for the Panthers and knocked in two runs.  Danny Waller singled and tripled.  Others with hits include Avery (double), Parker, Cal and McKinley.  Avery also had two RBI’s.

Dan Beam (3-0) was the starting pitcher for PAC, hurling four innings. He allowed six runs, only three were earned, on four hits.  He struck out four but walked three Hurricane and hit another three.  He was followed to the mound by Matthew Derrick who pitched the final three innings.  Matthew allowed one hit but no runs.  He struck out two and walked one.

The Panthers play again on Monday night against Calhoun County high school.

Panthers – 10     Fairfield Central High School – 6

The Panthers improved their record to 12-6 by besting the Griffins from Fairfield Central on Tuesday night at Bray Park. Danny Waller improved his record to 3-0 with a four inning effort.  He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits while racking up four strikeouts.  He did not walk a batter.  Matthew Derrick followed Danny to the mound, pitching the final three innings.  He earned a save by allowing three earned runs on six hits.

The Griffins struck first plating one run in the top of the first. The Griffin left fielder (Woodard) reached on an error by the Panther shortstop.  He then scored on a double by the Griffin first baseman Travious Williams who the Panthers could not retire all night (Mr. Williams ended the night with three doubles and one single.  He scored two runs and had two RBI’s.)  The Panthers answered in a big way in the bottom of the first by scoring five runs.  John Edens reached on an error by the Griffin’s second baseman.  Parker Pocock singled to send John to second.  James Reed singled to left field and the Griffin left fielder let the ball get by him all roll all the way to the fence.  John and Parker both scored and James ended up on third.  James scored on a sacrifice bunt by Matthew Derrick.  Avery Blevins was next up and he was hit in the head by the pitch and was sent on his way to first base (thank goodness for hard heads and even harder helmets).  He went to second on a single by Danny Waller.  McKinley Proctor hit a grounder to the third baseman who made a bad throw which scooted past the first baseman allowing Avery and Alex McKay (courtesy runner for Danny Waller) to score.  After one inning, the Panthers led 5-1.

The Griffins were silent in the top of the second inning and the Panthers added to their lead by plating one run. John Edens reached on an error by the Griffin shortstop with one out.  Parker Pocock walked to put runners at first and second.  James Reed was next and absolutely smoked a ball to deep left field.  The Griffin’s left fielder (Rodric Woodard) turned and ran straight back at the crack of the bat.  Never turning back around, Woodard kept running and dove headlong towards the fence catching the ball over his head inches off of the ground.  The Panthers on base had to scamper back to the bases they had started from to avoid being doubled up.  It was without a doubt the finest catch I have seen in several years and the Panther dugout saluted his efforts appropriately.  Cal salvaged the Panthers inning with a double to center field to drive in John.  The Panthers now led 6-1.

The Griffins translated their defensive momentum to offensive momentum and scored two runs in the top of the third inning. A single and two consecutive doubles scored two runs.  The Panthers clawed one run back in the bottom of the frame when Avery led off with a double and scored on a single by McKinley Proctor.  After three, the Panthers led 7-3.

The Panthers seemingly put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning by scoring another three runs. Parker led off with a single (his second of the game) and went to third on James’ second hit of the game.  Both scored when Cal stroked a single to left field that was misplayed by the left fielder with Cal ending up at third on the play.  He then scored on a ground out by Avery.  The score was now 10-3 Panthers.

The Griffins made it interesting by plating three runs in the top of the fifth inning stringing together four hits making the score 10-6. The Panthers added a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning when James Reed singled and stole second base.  He then danced in an out at second causing the Panther to be distracted enough to balk, sending James on to third.  James then scored on a wild pitch.

The Panthers had ten hits on the night led by James who had three singles. Parker and Cal both had two (Cal’s hits included a double).  Other with hits include Avery (double), Danny and McKinley.  Matthew was robbed of a single when he smashed a line drive right at the Griffin second baseman.  James scored three runs.  Multiple Panther players scored two runs (Edens, Pocock, Blevins).  The Panthers had seventeen productive at bats (against a goal of fourteen).

The Panthers now stand at 12-6 and take to the diamond again on Saturday as they host the Savannah Hurricanes in an important conference showdown at Bray Park. After surviving the storms this week, plan on coming out to support your PAC Panthers and enjoy an afternoon of baseball in the sun.  The JV team plays at 11:00 while the varsity games are at 2:00 and 5:00.

Panthers – 13     Greenville Hurricanes – 2

The Panthers won their third game in a row defeating the Greenville Hurricanes in Greenville on Saturday afternoon. Will Lawyer (2-3) pitched the Panthers to victory only allowing two runs on six hits.  He struck out one Hurricanes batter.

The Panthers scored early and often to put this game away. The Panthers scored two runs in the first inning with Cal Hucks and Matthew Derrick both driving in runs with a double.  The Panthers scored four runs in the second.  The first run scored on a single by Parker Pocock.  The other three runs scored when Cal came to bat with the bases loaded and blooped a texas leaguer behind third base that the shortstop made a diving attempt to catch; gathering the ball in his glove before it popped out when he crashed to the ground.  This made the score 6-0 after two innings.

The Panthers scored two more in the third, one on a single by Dan Beam. The Panthers really ended this game in the fourth inning by plating another four runs.  James Reed, Danny Waller and Will Lawyer had hits in the rally with Will’s hit knocking in two runs.  The Panthers scored their final run in the top of the fifth inning when Jacob Robinson scored on a sacrifice fly by Matthew Derrick.

The Hurricanes scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Panthers pounded out ten hits in the victory. McKinley Proctor led the way with two hits.  Others with hits included Parker Pocock, James Reed, Cal Hucks (doubled), Caleb Green, Matthew Derrick (doubled), Danny Waller, Dan Beam and Will Lawyer.  It was definitely good to see so many Panthers with hits during this game.  Will Lawyer had two RBI’s.

The win improves the Panther’s record to 11-5.

Panthers – 7       Greenville Hurricanes – 9

Well it took seven years and quite a few mistakes on our part but a homeschool team from South Carolina finally defeated a PAC Varsity baseball squad. The Panthers lost a closely contested game by 9-7 in Greenville on Saturday afternoon in the second game of a double header.

The Hurricanes jumped on top in the top of the first when their leadoff hitter (Holland) hit a triple. He scored on a ground out to the Panther second baseman.  The Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the third when Danny Waller singled and scored when Matthew Derrick drew a bases loaded walk.

The Hurricanes took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning by plating two runs. One run scored on a sacrifice fly and the other scored on an RBI single.  The Panthers clawed back for one run in the top of the fifth when Parker Pocock drew a walk, stole second base and scored on a double by Danny Waller.

The sixth inning ultimately determined the winner and the loser of this game. At first, it looked great for PAC as the Panthers scored five runs to take a 7-3 lead.  It all started with a single by John Edens.  He promptly stole second base.  Dan Beam then drew a walk to put runners on first and second.  Alex McKay hit a grounder to the Hurricane second baseman who tried to throw to the shortstop to force McKinley Proctor at second (McKinley was running for Dan who was the pitcher of record) but the shortstop dropped the ball which loaded the bases for the Panthers.  Parker drew a walk to drive in the first run of the inning.  Danny grounded into a fielder’s choice when he hit a grounder to the Hurricane third basemen who threw home to force McKinley for the first out of the inning.  The Hurricane catcher made a bad throw to the pitcher and Alex was alert and broke for home from third as soon as he saw the bad throw, scoring just ahead of the throw back home.  At this point, the Panthers had a 4-3 lead.  The Panthers added to this lead when Parker scored on a wild pitch after advancing to third on James Reed’s fielder’s choice.  Cal Hucks drew a walk and both James and Cal scored when Will Lawyer blasted a double to deep right field.  The Hurricanes got John to pop up for the third out of the inning but the Panthers had scored five runs to take what we all thought was an insurmountable lead.

However, The Hurricanes did not lay down and die. Dan Beam walked the first Hurricane batter in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Their nine-hole batter scorched a line drive to left field that the left fielder misread and let get by him all the way to the fence.  This put runners on second and third with no outs.  The Hurricane leadoff hitter hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored the first Hurricanes run of the inning.  The second walk of the inning put runners on first and second.  The next batter hit a chopper over the mound that the Panther shortstop fielded cleanly but a bad throw allowed the runner on second and put the other runners on second and third.  The score was now 7-5 in the Panthers favor.  The Panthers changed pitchers bringing in Matthew Derrick to try and save the game.  The Hurricanes clean-up hitter greeted Matthew with a double to left center field to plate two more runs to tie the game.  The clean-up hitter ended up scoring on a balk by Matthew.  The Hurricanes last run scored when they (Moseley) reached on an error by the Panther right fielder and ended up scoring on a wild pitch.

The Panthers had one more opportunity in the top of the seventh but could not push any runs across so the game ended with the Hurricanes victorious. For the game, the Hurricanes out hit the Panthers 10-7.  The Panthers were led by Danny Waller who had three hits (two singles and a double).  Others with hits included Hucks, Derrick, Lawyer (double) and Edens.

Cal Hucks was the starting pitcher for PAC. He pitched three innings giving up three earned runs on seven hits.  Dan Beam followed Cal to the mound, surrendering four runs (only one was earned) on two hits.  Matthew Derrick was the last pitcher for Pac and surrendered two runs (one earned) on one hit.

The loss drops the Panthers record to 11-6. They take the field again on Tuesday against the Griffins from Fairfield Central.

Panthers – 2       Augusta Christian – 1

The Panthers rolled into Augusta for a baseball game on Friday afternoon that is usually a neat celebration. The varsity game marks the beginning of Augusta Christian’s spring break so the whole school comes out to watch the game and cheer their Lions on.  The sun broke through dreary, gray clouds to make it a beautiful day for baseball but on this day, the Lion’s were playing with broken hearts.  The Lion’s buried their normal third baseman (Drew Passmore) earlier in the week after he had struggled for life following a single car accident last week.

The Lions struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Jackson Wingard doubled and scored on an error by the Panthers. The Panthers answered in the top of the fourth when Cal Hucks doubled and scored on a single by Matthew Derrick.  The Panthers took the lead in the top of the fifth when McKinley Proctor singled and later scored on a single by Parker Pocock.

The Panthers made their 2-1 lead stand up, improving their overall record to 10-5. James Reed was the starting pitcher for PAC pitching five innings.  He allowed one unearned run on two hits.  He struck out eleven and walked three.  Will Lawyer pitched the final two innings, giving up on hit.

Parker Pocock and McKinley Proctor had two singles and Cal Hucks doubled. Others with hits include Matthew Derrick and Danny Waller.

After the game, the Panthers gave each Lions player a wristband emblazoned with Drew’s name and number. We discussed that while baseball is a great game, there are certainly more important things in life than baseball wins and losses.  The most important thing is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We also discussed how Mr. Passmore’s death had led to five salvations at the school he attended.  We challenged the players to use their lives to make a difference in the world around them.