On a beautiful Saturday for baseball, the Brookhaven Panthershosted the Clinton Arrows for an abbreviated, 2-game jamboreeseries on Moyer Field. Brookhaven tied Clinton 3-3 in the openerand followed with a 9-1 win in the 4-inning finale.

The Panthers resume play Saturday in the Franklin County Classicat Meadville. They play Franklin County at 11 a.m. and NatchezCathedral at 1 p.m.

“Overall, I was very pleased,” said BHS coach Randy Spring. “Ourpitchers threw strikes for the most part and we played really soliddefense. We only made one error in eight innings and we had somegood at-bats.”

Spring said it was a good opportunity for the players to gettheir feet wet before the season starts. “I told them these gameswere important but they didn’t count on our record. We got to use alot of young players, too.”

Brookhaven 3, Clinton 3

On the mound, senior southpaw Paxton King started the game andthrew 1 inning. He struck out 1 batter and did not allow a hit orwalk.

Bud Britt relieved King in the second. He gave up 2 earned runs,2 hits, 2 walks and struck out none in 1 inning.

Nick Helmstetter went 2 frames. He gave up 1 unearned run andscattered 3 hits. He walked none and fanned 2.

At the plate, Brook was led by sophomore centerfielder ElliottMcKee’s 2 singles. Helmstetter doubled and Britt tripled. CodyRatcliff, Zach Halliwell and Chris Dixon singled.

Brookhaven 9, Clinton 1

Halliwell started and hurled 2 innings for the Panthers in thefinale. He gave up 1 earned run, 3 hits, walked none and fannednone.

Brandon Foster pitched the last 2 innings, holding the Arrowsscoreless. He gave up 3 hits, 1 walk and fanned 2.

At the plate, the Panthers finished with 6 hits as McKee singledtwice. Gabe Wilson, Issac Jones, Brent Henderson and Chris Sealsalso hit safely.

The Panthers had been slowed by rain and a mud-soaked fieldduring preseason practice. “Our ground was a little soft but it wasin good shape,” said Spring.