MCCOMB – The Brookhaven Panthers continue to rack up the runs.Last week they scored a total of 35 in two games against SouthPike. Wednesday night they added to that total with a 14-7 win overFranklin County in the McComb Coca-Cola Tournament at Rotary Field.The win improved the Panthers’ overall record to 7-2. FranklinCounty fell to 4-4.

“I was pleased with our performance in the first four innings,”said Panther head coach Randy Spring. “We hit the ball pretty wellagainst a good pitcher like (Cole) Zumbro. He throws in the high80s and is tough; one of the better pitches in the state”

Spring said the weather was a big factor in the latter part ofthe game and the final outcome.

“We got out of our rhythm, both in our hitting and pitching,”said Spring. “The threat of rain caused us to push a little. Wewere trying to get in enough innings to make the game official, andwe began to press.”

Brookhaven jumped on Zumbro (2-1) for three runs in the thirdand four in the fourth en route to an early 7-0 lead. They addedfour more runs in the fourth to stretch that lead to 11-0. The bigblow was Miguel Banks’ two-run homer in the bottom of thefourth.

The Bulldogs finally got on the board with three runs in thefifth and three in the sixth, thanks to Colby Beach’s second homerun of the season, a solo shot in the fifth.

Brookhaven added one run in the fifth and two in the sixth toincrease the lead to 14-6. Franklin County scored one final run inthe top of the seventh on Zumbro’s solo home run. It was hiseighth, tops in the state.

Banks led the Brookhaven attack with three hits, a homer, twodoubles and three RBIs. Ben Goza was 3-3 with two RBIs and JamesMcCall was 3-3 with a double and three RBIs. Kern Hoff added adouble and Daniel Boyd had a single for the Panthers.

Beach paced Franklin County with a home run and a double. BertSmith was 2-4 and Dwayne Mitchell, Zumbro, Wade Woodcock and SonnyBrown each had one hit.

Banks (2-1) gained the win on the mound for the Panthers. Hegave up six runs (five earned) on four hits, struck out 10 andwalked four in five innings of work.

Zumbro absorbed his first loss of the season. He lasted onlythree innings, gave up seven runs (three earned), six hits, struckout seven and walked one.

Weather permitting, Brookhaven will take on Wesson today at 4p.m. The game is scheduled for Sullivan Field at Copiah-LincolnCommunity College. Field conditions could move the game to WessonHigh School.