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Cumberland Gap opened its district baseball season with a home game against the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights, March 22.

It was a beautiful day for baseball with a sunny sky and gentle light breeze; however, the Panthers found themselves behind 3-0 after one inning of play.

During the top of the second, the Knights found two more runs and had the home team behind 5-0 and had the Panthers frustrated at the plate.

Cumberland Gap had something working in the bottom of the second but they left the runner stranded on the base pads.

During the Knight’s half of the third, they too left men on base as three were stranded on the bases. The Knights could have blown the game open but the Panthers dug deep and found a way to get out of the inning.

It was in the bottom of the third when the Panthers plated their first runs of the game. Jeremiah Cannon walked and advanced to second and Justin Moore doubled to plate run number one.

A deep fly to right center by Cody Johnson accounted for the second run and a great throw to home erased the Panthers chances for their third run of the inning. The score was 5-2 with the Panthers showing a little life.

It wasn’t until the top of the sixth inning that the scoreboard changed again. An errant throw helped the Knights score one run and a controversial call at the plate accounted for another run. The fans thought there should have been a dead ball called but instead it wasn’t and the score was counted. The Knights led 7-2.

Still, Cumberland Gap had their chances as they loaded the bases up for three different hitters but they didn’t get that timely hit and fell 7-2 to the visiting Knights.

Much of the post game talk centered around the non call at the plate where fans saw a dead ball situation while the officials didn’t see what created the dead ball allowing the seventh run to score. That play seemed to rattle the Panthers.

Video: Jeremiah Cannon takes one for the team

By ALLEN EARL

allen.earl@claiborneprogress.net