With nothing to play for Friday except pride, the Bowie baseball team came up short at Paradise on Friday in their final game of the season.
The Panthers capitalized on a big fifth inning to extend their lead to a comfortable 8-3 win.
Neither team got anything going in the first inning. A Paradise hitter hit a two out double, but pitcher Payton Price was able to get the next batter to line out to center field to end the first inning.
Riley Partridge was able to get on base for the Jackrabbits with a two out single. A passed ball allowed him to go to second. Unfortunately, the next batter struck out to end the scoring chance. A similar story happened for the Panthers, with a two out base hit leading to nothing as Price forced the next batter to ground out to third.
In the top of the third inning, Taylor Pigg was able to get himself on base with a two out single. This time, action did follow. The next two batters drew walks to load the bases. Price then came up and lined a triple into the gap to clear the bases and give Bowie a 3-0 lead.
Paradise responded in the bottom of the third. Three singles loaded the bases with one out. The next batter hit a ground ball to the shortstop. He flipped it to second base for an out, but there was not enough time for the double play that would have ended the inning and saved a run. Price was able to force another ground out the next at bat, but the Panthers had cut the lead to 3-1 heading into the fourth inning.
The Jackrabbits could not get anything going as they were sat down in order. Paradise started the inning with a leadoff single and walk. A sacrifice bunt moved them both to second and third. Third baseman Evan Kennedy made a great play snaring a ball that would have gone over his head for the second out, but the next batter hit a double to left field that scored both runners to tie the game. He was then hit home with a single to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
Bowie looked to answer. Pigg got on with a one out single up the middle. Next batter Keck Jones was allowed to reach base due to fielding error in the outfield. Even after a double steal that put both runners in scoring position, the next two batters popped out to end the scoring chance.
Paradise was able to keep things moving offensively along with some help from the Jackrabbits. A hit, fielding error and hit batter loaded the bases with no outs. The next batter hit a double to left field that scored two runs. Two wild pitches scored two more runs to give the Panthers an 8-3 lead. Pigg came in and struck out the next batter for the final out of the fifth inning.
Bowie tried to answer back. Boo Oakley was able to get on base due to a dropped strike three with two outs. Next batter Weston Partridge was put in to pinch hit. He hit a single to center field, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
Pigg was able to sit down the three batters in order in the bottom of the sixth to keep the lead where it was heading into the final inning.
The Jackrabbits were able to get two runners on with Pigg hitting a single and Jones drawing a walk with only one out. Unfortunately, the next two batters got out to end the game with Bowie losing 8-3.

To read more, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.