HUTTO – The Hutto Hippos took on the Midway Panthers (Waco) with a chance to tie their district records and move up to first place.
The Panthers would take an 8-4 win Saturday, April 29, to solidify themselves in the top spot of the district and keep the Hippos in second place.
If the Hippos would have won, the two teams would have had to play in a play-in game to determine who would have the number one spot in playoffs. The Panthers came in knowing that and put the Hippos away to firmly claim that spot.
The Panthers’ defense was fundamentally sound and did not panic once the Hippos started to find their offense late. The Panthers’ calm demeanor on defense was the motor behind their win Saturday night.
The Hippos played a great game, despite what the score said, as a couple of bad bounces and lucky plays in favor of the other team was the deciding factor in this game. The Hippos are still a playoff team, and this loss only adds fuel to their fire.
Offensively, the Hippos just could not find a rhythm early but found some late success that kept them in the game.
The Hippos’ offense was able to find four runs, but because of some bad bounces, their comeback was cut short. The Panthers may have won this battle against the Hippos, but with the post season on the horizon, the Hippos have already begun preparing to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Hutto picked up a win over Harker Heights to secure the second-place seed in the playoffs.
