Tiftarea Panthers picking up momentum in baseball

Apr. 9—CHULA — Tiftarea Academy's Panthers returned to school Monday from spring break and to GIAA district hardball Tuesday.

The Panthers get back into baseball after a week away from the region atop the standings. They are the only undefeated team in 3-AAA at 4-0 and now have some momentum behind them.

Friday, they demolished Fullington Academy, 14-1, raising their season mark to 12-6. Not only is the district title potentially within grasp, the Panthers are in good shape in the GIAA power rankings to get a first round bye in the state tournament. On April 4, MaxPreps ranked them fourth.

In even more good news, Tiftarea has Robert Garner back on the hill. A leg injury cost him all of 2023 and a setback kept him away for part of this year, too. Benson said Garner was more than ready to get back out there, even with him still on a strict pitch count. He said Garner has a whole new appreciation about playing.

It's been a fine return. "He's on a good pace, Benson said. "He's throwing strikes."

In his latest game against Cairo, Garner pitched 2.1 innings. Though the Panthers fell to the Syrupmakers, it was much closer than the first time around. Tiftarea was beaten 10-0 at home earlier in the season and made this one 8-3.

Garner joins a Tiftarea mound crew that's been solid so far. Winston Lamb, Lane Cole, Eli Hannah and John Michael White are regulars.

His return adds to the Tiftarea momentum on both sides of the plate.

The Panthers struggled in the early days of the season, but everyone's bats are now picking up. "We're starting to come out of it a little bit more," Benson said. Situational hitting has especially improved, he said. Bunting, baserunning. "A lot of little things."

Benson would like his hitters to cut back on the strikeouts. "But we are putting the ball in play."

Asher Cox, Jackson Parrish and Lamb are all hitting .300 or better to enter the week. John Jackson is tops in runs scored and Lane Cole in RBIs. Cox has two homers to lead in that department.

For pitching, Cole and White are neck-and-neck in strikeout totals. Lamb has four wins. Hannah and White are the ERA leaders.

They picked up another win Tuesday, scoring four in the late innings to win over Deerfield-Windsor. Garner came in for three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Lamb drove in four runs and Parrish picked up three hits.