For the second time this week, the Jemison Panthers varsity baseball team successfully defended their home turf, this time against the visiting Calera Eagles.

Despite a late game effort by the Eagles, the Panthers were able to come away with a 6-3 victory Thursday night.

Although the Eagles managed two singles to start the game, three strikeouts by Panther pitcher Justin Caudle would keep the game scoreless to end the top of the first inning.

The Panthers would start the bottom half of the inning the same way their opponent had, with two consecutive singles.

A single by Corbin Bice to start the inning would lead to the Panthers’ first run of the game on a Will Lenoir single.

A single by Cade Hatch would later score Lenoir, giving the Panthers an early 2-0 lead at the end of the first inning.

The Eagles were unable to capitalize on two base runners in the top of the second inning, while the Panthers added two more in the bottom half of the inning.

After Daniel Eslinger was put on first base after being hit by a pitch, a Bice single hit up the middle would push Eslinger across home plate.

Bice was later scored on a Jacob Hatch single, giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead.

After both teams exchanged three up and three down innings through the third inning, the Eagles would finally get on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth.

A Keith Dowdell double to deep center field set up a sacrifice fly by Mathew Marfice, giving the Eagles their first run of the game and making the score 4-1.

The Eagle defense again shut down the Panthers in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Eagles would add one more run in the top of the fifth inning after B.J. Barker reached on an error, and would later reach home plate on a Ryne Phelps single.

The bottom of the fifth inning would bring two more Panther runs.

Jacob Hatch would score on a passed ball at the plate after hitting a single, and Logan Ray would send Jacob Bates across the plate, giving the Panthers a 6-2 lead. The Eagles would score once more in the top of the fifth when a Phelps single scored Barker, drawing the Eagles to within 3, but ultimately the Eagles could not catch up to the Panthers.

Justin Caudle pitched a complete game for the Panthers, including eight strikeouts, seven hits, no walks and three earned runs.

Bice and Jacob Hatch were both 2-for-3 at the plate.

Bice had two singles, one RBI and a stolen base.

Hatch had two singles and one RBI.

Barker pitched a complete game for the Eagles, including four strikeouts, nine hits, no walks and six earned runs.

Phelps was 2-of-4 with two singles and an RBI.