The Liberty County Panthers baseball team took down the visiting Washington County Golden Hawks, 6-0, Saturday afternoon.

Baseball coach David Samuel said he knew his players were dead-on from the first pitch.

"Joe Watkins was in total command today," he said. "He came out in the first and shut WACO down 1, 2, 3, getting two strikeouts and a weak grounder."

Samuel said Watkins brought the heat and did not allow a base runner until the fifth inning with Washington County facing two outs. A Golden Hawk player made it to first on an error but Watkins retired the next batter with a strike-out.

"Joe pitched extraordinarily," Samuel said. "With two outs in the 6th inning, Joe gave up his only hit of the game as Washington County’s leadoff hitter put a 0-2 curveball just past a diving Dylan Connelly at 3rd base. Almost as impressive as the near perfect game and no-hitter was that Joe did not walk one batter."

Panther Cody French led in hitting. He smashed a double to left center field and scored off a hit by Chris Arnold. In the 5th inning, French hit another double and later came home on a hit by Eddie Chipple.

"In the 6th he was hit by a pitch and scored for the 3rd time on a wild pitch," Samuel said of French. The coach said his squad played as a team.

"We have been steadily improving over the past few weeks," he said. "We will continue to work on progressing and doing things for the team. I am proud of everyone today. It was a great day for Liberty baseball."