Just like he did several times in the mid-’90s, Steve Cotrell left Commerce High School’s baseball field with a win.
Only last Saturday, it was Cotrell and his Liberty County High School Panthers who reveled in victory.
The Panthers scored five runs in the game’s final two innings to beat Commerce, where Cotrell starred as a catcher from 1993-1996, 7-3.
Brad Harris went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Aaron Hoffer went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Hoffer also started the game on the mound for the Panthers, earning a no-decision. He pitched 4-2/3 innings.
Robert Walsh earned the win and Erik Mattingly pitched the final two innings for the save.
“There was a lot of reminiscing,” Cotrell said. “A lot of people and faces I saw I remembered and it was fun all the way around.”
The trip also allowed the young Panthers squad to bond as a team.
“I think the guys had a good time,” Cotrell said. “I heard a lot of good things from the parents that the kids enjoyed themselves.”
Before the Commerce game, Cotrell’s Panthers lost to Cotrell’s college coach Tommy Knight’s Jefferson Dragons 6-3 at Jefferson.
The Panthers and Dragons entered the fifth inning tied at two but Jefferson took advantage of two costly LCHS errors to score two runs and hold on for the win.
Skyler Hoffer started the game for Liberty, going four innings, striking out nine and walking two batters.
Only last Saturday, it was Cotrell and his Liberty County High School Panthers who reveled in victory.
The Panthers scored five runs in the game’s final two innings to beat Commerce, where Cotrell starred as a catcher from 1993-1996, 7-3.
Brad Harris went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Aaron Hoffer went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Hoffer also started the game on the mound for the Panthers, earning a no-decision. He pitched 4-2/3 innings.
Robert Walsh earned the win and Erik Mattingly pitched the final two innings for the save.
“There was a lot of reminiscing,” Cotrell said. “A lot of people and faces I saw I remembered and it was fun all the way around.”
The trip also allowed the young Panthers squad to bond as a team.
“I think the guys had a good time,” Cotrell said. “I heard a lot of good things from the parents that the kids enjoyed themselves.”
Before the Commerce game, Cotrell’s Panthers lost to Cotrell’s college coach Tommy Knight’s Jefferson Dragons 6-3 at Jefferson.
The Panthers and Dragons entered the fifth inning tied at two but Jefferson took advantage of two costly LCHS errors to score two runs and hold on for the win.
Skyler Hoffer started the game for Liberty, going four innings, striking out nine and walking two batters.