College Park holds off Lufkin

LUFKIN, Texas - A four-run fourth inning proved to be just enough firepower to lift the College Park High School baseball team to a 5-4 road win over Lufkin on Thursday.

Montana Parsons (6-1) went 5 2/3 innings, striking out five, to pick up the win for College Park (20-8, 8-2). Jacob Mardick worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to pick up the save for College Park.

The homestanding Panthers jumped on top 1-0 in the first inning but Jayden Holden answered an inning later for College Park with an RBI-double, plating Robby Henderson.

The Cavs took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning when Henderson chased home Austin Stokes with the go-ahead run. Nate Fisbeck extended the lead to 4-1 in the same inning with a two-RBI double that scored both Henderson and Holden.

Before the dust settled in the fourth inning, the Cavs added one more run when Justen Heinrich reached on an error, scoring Chandler Morris for a 5-1 lead.

Lufkin (4-6) sliced into the Cavs' lead with a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth. College Park held onto that 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

The win clinches a playoff spot for College Park, which also moved into second place in the District 14-5A standings. With two games left on the regular season schedule, the Cavaliers are one game behind league-leading The Woodlands (9-1), a 3-0 winner on Thursday over Bryan (8-3).

College Park closes the 2014 regular season next week, hosting The Woodlands on Tuesday before the Friday finale at Bryan. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.