BURTON WINS GAME TWO, BUT JOHNSON CITY COMES BACK TO TAKE GAME THREE

The Burton Panthers Baseball Team saw their season come to end on Saturday afternoon against the Johnson City Eagles. Burton won the first game of the doubleheader in Liberty Hill 12-4 to even the series at 1-1. However, Johnson City came back to win the third and deciding game 6-1.

Johnson City won the series and is moving on to face Kenedy in the Region Semifinals next week. Burton finishes the season with a 22-11 record. It was also the final game in a Panther uniform for five seniors: Vicente Veliz, Pierson Spies, Chet Fritsch, Kaiden Kalkhake, and Carson Lauter.

BURTON 12 JOHNSON CITY 4

Burton jumped out in front early with a five-run second inning. Colby Beck reached on an infield hit, and then took second when the Eagle shortstop overthrew first. Carson Lauter walked, and Bryson Biggs reached on an error to load the bases. Ryder Biggs reached on an infield single that allowed Beck to score the first run. Eli Simank drew a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0 Burton. Vicente Veliz followed with a two-run single to make 4-0. Chet Fritsch added a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 5-0.

Johnson City came back with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut it to a 5-4 game.

Burton got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Kaiden Kalkhake singled, stole second, and then scored on an RBI single by Bryson Biggs to make it 6-4.

The Panthers then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away. Veliz and Pierson Spies led off with back-to-back singles. Fritsch reached on an infield hit to load the bases. Kalkhake reached on an error that scored Veliz. Beck hit a sacrifice fly to plate Spies, and make it 8-4. Fritsch scored on a steal of home. Lauter singled home Kalkhake to make it 10-4. Ryder Biggs singled. Simank reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Lauter to score. Veliz then singled home Ryder to make it 12-4.

Lauter got the win on the hill for the Panthers going seven innings, allowing six hits, four runs, three walks, and striking out seven.

JOHNSON CITY 6 BURTON 1

Johnson City saved their best for last. They sent out sophomore Johnny Slawinsky, who has already committed to Baylor University. He was the real deal. Slawinsky went seven innings, allowed only two hits, one unearned run, didn't surrender a walk, and struck 15.

Kaiden Kalkhake took the loss on the hill.

The Eagles scored two runs in the first, and four in the fifth.

Burton's only run came in the top of the 7th. Fritsch led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI single by Lauter.