By Jack Walker

Staff Writer

The team went through the typical Texas weather extremes in Pottsboro this past weekend, cold winds blowing from the south on Thursday, colder winds and rain on Friday and finishing under sunny skies on Saturday as the Panthers finished third in the event. Failure to get enough runners to third base in the opener against Whitewright cost Van Alstyne a shot at the title.

VA 1, Whitewright 1

Hoping to capitalize on a team that had three starting pitchers still involved with basketball, the Panthers took on Whitewright in the opening round of the Cardinal Classic on Thursday. They didn't get off to the best of starts as Steven Spann fanned the first three Panther batters to open the game. The Tigers got a one-out double from Troy Worthy in their half of the first but he was stranded.

Tanner Neill opened the Panther second by lifting a high fly ball in the infield that looked like trouble off the bat. Neither Tiger middle infielder could handle the play, and Neill wound up on second with some alert base running. He moved to third on a Whitewright error then scored on a deep fly ball out to right field by David Goodenow who picked up the RBI.

A Texas league single by Chris Burge with one out in the fifth was wasted as Spann worked out of that jam.

A lead off walk issued to Buck McFatridge came back to hurt the Panthers as lead off walks always cause problems.

Sam Foret on the hill for Van Alstyne deserved a better fate as he fanned the second batter of the inning. Two Panther errors later McFatridge scored the tying run in a no-hit inning.

Spann gave up a single to Neill in the sixth and a pair of hits in the seventh but none of those runners were able to move past second base and that was critical as runners-to-third was the first tie breaker.

Whitewright won that battle in the sixth as back-to-back walks got runners on and a single by Dylan Griffin moved a runner to third. A double play kept the Tigers off the scoreboard but the damage had been done.

Chris Gerzina had a one-out single in the Panther seventh but he was thrown out at third on a nice 9-6-5 relay that kept the Panthers behind in the tie breaker and setting up a game with Tom Bean on Friday.

VA 10, Tom Bean 3

The Panthers jumped on Tom Bean lefty, Johnny Johnson for five runs in the first inning and shivered their way to a 10-3 win over the Tom Cats on a cold and rainy Friday at the Cardinal Classic in Pottsboro.

Lucas Love had a two RBI hit in the first and Sam Foret added a single that plated two more.

Chance Grayson and Love both drew walks in the second and both later scored. Grayson on a passed ball and Love came home on a infield hit by Tanner Neill. Van Alstyne added three more in the fourth as Grayson walked again and scored,

Christopher Haynes got an infield hit and came around to count and David Goodenow added the final tally in the seven-run win.

VA 10, Pottsboro 0

Van Alstyne rocked Cardinal pitching for 11 hits and 10 runs as they blanked Pottsboro picking up third place in the Cardinal Classic. Sam Foret got the pitching win, striking out six in just three innings of work. David Goodenow had a three-for-three day at the plate driving in three runs. Coby Cook went two-for-two and got the only extra base hit for the Panthers when he doubled in the third inning.

Shane Jones pitched the fourth inning, walking one and getting three ground ball outs to preserve the shutout. Chance Grayson gave up a hit and no runs in the fifth.

A Monday game scheduled at Gunter was rained out and the team will next hit the diamond over the weekend as they travel to Aubrey to compete in the Chaparrals tournament.