Playing with wood bats didn’t bother the Panthers at all.
As teams scored season lows at the inaugural Slapout Wood Bat Classic, the change in bat didn’t seem to affect Elmore County. The Panthers went 4-0 and scored 32 runs as they claimed the tournament championship.
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ 362E r=2DD fp E62>D ~A6=:<2 EH:46[ h\a 2?5 `a\_[ 2?5 s@E92? EH:46[ b\a 2?5 g\d]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2:? E9:?8 7@C FD H2D @FC DE2CE:?8 A:E49:?8[” !2?E96CD 4@249 |:4926= qJC5 D2:5] “(6 32D:42==J 8@E E9C66 4@>A=6E6 82>6D 2?5 E96 =2DE 8FJ H6?E :?E@ E96 7:7E9 :??:?8] (6 2=D@ 9:E E96 32== H6== 2== H66<6?5] (6 925 D@>6 E:>6=J 9:ED 2?5 2 4@FA=6 @7 E:>6D H96? H6 8@E 5@H?[ H6 2?DH6C65 C:89E 324<] %96 H@@5 32E :D FDF2==J E96 6BF2=:K6C 3FE x 5@?’E 766= =:<6 :E C62==J 27764E65 FD @776?D:G6=J]”k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD’ DE2CE6CD @? E96 >@F?5 H6C6 AC:DE:?6 2== H66<6?5]k^Am
kAm%@ @A6? E96 E@FC?2>6?E[ y256? t2D@? E@@< E@ E96 >@F?5 282:?DE ~A6=:<2 2?5 A:E4965 2 4@>A=6E6 82>6] w6 2==@H65 ;FDE D:I 9:ED 2?5 EH@ H2=<D H:E9 6:89E DEC:<6@FED :? D6G6? :??:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD 82G6 9:> 2 e\` =625 27E6C E96 7:CDE EH@ :??:?8D 2?5 96 C@56 E96 >@>6?EF> E@ E96 H:?] x? E96 D64@?5 A@@= A=2J 82>6[ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ E@@< @? s@E92?[ H9:49 925 ;FDE 362E6? (6EF>A<2 c\_ E96 52J AC:@C]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 4=@D6DE 82>6 @7 E96 H66<6?5 7@C t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 2D :E H@?[ b\a]k^Am
kAmqC2?5@? (9:E6 DE2CE65 @? E96 >@F?5 2?5 H6?E e ⅔ :??:?8D 367@C6 96 C2? @FE @7 A:E496D] w6 2==@H65 ;FDE 7@FC 9:ED 2?5 DECF4< @FE `_ s@E92? 32EE6CD H9:=6 H2=<:?8 D:I]k^Am
kAmw6 =67E E96 82>6 H:E9 E96 32D6D =@2565 2?5 EH@ @FED[ 2?5 4=@D6C #J2=D |4}66=J 42>6 :? 2?5 7:?:D965 @77 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm“*@F <?@H J@F’C6 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 492?46 E@ H:? H96? J@F 92G6 y256? 2?5 qC2?5@? @? E96 >@F?5[” qJC5 D2:5] “%92E C6=2I6D E96 @776?D6 2 =:EE=6 3:E <?@H:?8 E96J 5@?’E 92G6 E@ D4@C6 2 H9@=6 =@E] x7 E9@D6 EH@ E9C@H DEC:<6D[ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 492?46 E@ H:?]”k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ 92D 2 4=62C 4FE }@] ` 2?5 }@] a @? E96 >@F?5[ 3FE :D DE:== D62C49:?8 7@C E96 ?6IE 8FJD E@ DE6A FA] |4}66=J 5:5 E92E 7@C E96 !2?E96CD] p7E6C 4=@D:?8 @FE E96 H:? @G6C s@E92?[ 96 8@E E96 DE2CE 282:?DE ~A6=:<2 :? E96 D6>:7:?2=D @7 3C24<6E A=2J]k^Am
kAmw6 A:E4965 2 7:G6\:??:?8 4@>A=6E6 82>6 D9FE@FE H96C6 96 2==@H65 ;FDE D:I 9:ED 2?5 EH@ H2=<D H:E9 D:I DEC:<6@FED] x? E96 7:?2=6[ 2 C6>2E49 H:E9 s@E92?[ $96=E@? s2C?6== DE2CE65 2?5 A:E4965 c ⅔ :??:?8D H:E9 7@FC 62C?65 CF?D] w2J56? y@?6D[ H9@ ?@C>2==J A=2JD >:55=6 :?7:6=5[ 42>6 :? 7@C C6=:67 2?5 56=:G6C65 a ⅓ :??:?8D H96C6 96 2==@H65 ;FDE @?6 9:E 2?5 @?6 H2=<]k^Am
kAm“%9:D E@FC?2>6?E H2D C62==J 8@@5 E@ D66 @FC @E96C A:E496CD[” qJC5 D2:5] “(6 8@E E@ D66 #J2=D 2?5 $96=E@? 8@ @FE 2?5 w2J56? y@?6D 4@>6 :?] (6 ?665 E92E 6IA6C:6?46 7@C H96? E96 A=2J@77D 4@>6[ 2?5 E96J 8@E :E 282:?DE D@>6 8@@5 fp E62>D E9:D H66<6?5]”k^Am
kAm(9:E6 H2D ?2>65 E96 E@FC?2>6?E |'! 7@C 9:D A6C7@C>2?46 H9:=6 $962 s2C?6==[ H9@ A=2J65 42E496C[ D9@CEDE@A 2?5 D64@?5 32D6 @? E96 H66<6?5[ H2D 2=D@ ?2>65 E@ E96 p==\%@FC?2>6?E E62>]k^Am
kAm%@ 8@ 2=@?8 H:E9 (9:E6’D e ⅔ :??:?8D 2?5 H:?[ 96 2=D@ H6?E c\7@C\`a H:E9 EH@ 5@F3=6D[ E9C66 #qxD 2?5 E9C66 CF?D D4@C65] s2C?6==[ H9@ :D (9:E6’D 42E496C H96? 96 E2<6D E96 >@F?5[ H6?E g\7@C\`a H:E9 6:89E CF?D D4@C65[ @?6 5@F3=6 2?5 7:G6 DE@=6? 32D6D]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 2 8@@5 5F@[” s2C?6== D2:5] “(6 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ H:? E9:D H66<6?5] $@>6 E62>D 5:5?VE 7:?5 2 H2J 3FE H6 5:5]”k^Am