It was a tough night on Panther Drive as the 7th ranked Knoxville Baseball Squad fell to Ballard 9-2 in the class 3A substate final. The Panthers, as had been the case for most of the season, found themselves trailing early on when Ballard plated two runs on no hits, but took advantage of a walk, hit batsman, and an error. Ballard would get a 3rd run when the lead off batter was walked, followed by an error, and two more walks. A 4th run would come home in the 5th inning. Knoxville did hit the scoreboard in the fifth on a Beau Leisure two RBI double, but that was all Knoxville would get and Ballard broke the game open with five runs in the 6th inning. Coach Turner Devore told KNIA/KRLS Sports it was a struggle from the start and his team never got settled down.

Devore: “It was just a struggle from the get go. We thought they might put pressure on us, and Rousch was really good on the mound, and he was good when we saw him the first time. It was a tough pill to swallow.”

Beau Leisure took the loss going five innings allowing four runs on just one hit, walking five and striking out ten. Luke Spaur pitched the final two innings in relief. Knoxville finishes its best season in nearly a decade with a 34-4 record.