Lufkin Storms Back From Five-Run Deficit to Take Game 1 From Hallsville

TYLER -- It was good to be a Lufkin Panther on Thursday.

On a night when the Lufkin softball team erased an eight-run deficit to secure a win in their playoff series opener, the Panthers' baseball squad was wearing their "comeback spikes" as well.

Lufkin overcame an early 5-0 hole, scoring four runs in the sixth inning to earn a 7-5 win over Hallsville in Game 1 of their Class 5A Region II quarterfinal series at Mike Carter Field.

Game 2 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday back in Tyler with a third game, if necessary, to immediately follow.

All four Lufkin runs in the sixth scored with two outs. Sophomore Jonathan Dewberry, who was 4-for-4 on the night, tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run single, and Blake Lazarine followed two batters later with the go-ahead single.

The Panthers added an insurance run when Luke Rowley, who walked, scored from third on a balk from a Hallsville reliever.

Lufkin sophomore right-hander Tanner Green was tremendous out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts over 5 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, to notch the win on the mound.

Panthers third baseman Max Quick, also a sophomore, got the comeback started in the third with a two-out, inside-the-park, three-run homer that trimmed Hallsville's lead to 5-3.

The sinking line drive to center skipped past the diving Hallsville outfielder, and traveled all the way to the wall, allowing Dewberry, Rowley -- and eventually Quick -- to round the bases.

Hallsville jumped all over Lufkin by scoring five runs in the first two innings off Panthers starter Christian Stephens, who authored a shutout in the opener of Lufkin's playoff sweep of Waxahachie last week.

Bobcats catcher Colton Oberthier delivered the big blow in the first with a two-out bases-loaded double that scored three runs. Hallsville swelled its lead to 5-0 in the second on Jarrett Wynne's RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Logan Durrett.

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Lufkin 7, Hallsville 5

Class 5A Region II Quarterfinals -- Game 1
At Mike Carter Field, Tyler

Hallsville 320 000 0 -- 5 6 1
Lufkin 003 004 x -- 6 11 3

Pitchers and catchers

Hallsville: Cooper Rawls, Peyton Reich (6), Caden Thomson (6) and Colton Oberthier.
Lufkin: Christian Stephens, Tanner Green (2) and Ben Osgood.