Elmore County opened the 2025 season out on the right foot with back-to-back wins over Tallassee, showcasing their prowess on offense.
The Panthers opened with an 11-1 victory on Friday and followed it up with a 4-1 win on Saturday, but found itself fighting from behind. The Tigers jumped out in front with a home run in the first inning thanks to Brue Milner while pitcher Chase Chumley provided the Panthers with its fair share of fits.
However, Elmore County found its rhythm in the fifth inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Evan Spence that brought in Bryson Rigsby and Gage Davis to get in the driver's seat. Spence and Davis later each scored a run in the top of the seventh to help secure the win.
“That was a well-pitched game on both sides,” Elmore County coach Michael Dismukes said. “Their starter (Chumley) really filled the strike zone up, gave us some fits. Now, we swung some balls he dealt early, but we just didn't lose our composure and kept going, and it busted open for us.”
What has played in Elmore County’s favor is the impact the senior class is having at the beginning of the season. Even when things are not going in the Panthers’ favor, similar to what Elmore County saw on Saturday, the seniors found a way to adjust.
“The biggest thing is we're focused,” Dismukes said. “We're senior led, we got experience, which in adversity, it helps that they've been through the trenches before. Right now, we haven’t been able to get too big or too low, and they just tried to stay consistent. So early, that's hard to do sometimes.”
Consistency is the main thing Dismukes wants to see from his guys, especially at the plate. He knows if they are consistent with their approach, it could result in more hits and more runs for Elmore County.
“Just try to have the same at-bat over and over and over, and be consistent,” Dismukes said. “It gives you a chance to be successful at the plate.”
Although the Panthers have had an early stretch of success, improvements still need to be made. Dismukes wants to see his guy swing a little bit more to avoid being in a position where they were on Saturday.
“Swing at more strikes,” Dismukes said. “Don't chase out the zone and get something that they can really handle. And once they do that, we're a pretty good lineup.”
Next up for Elmore County was a doubleheader against Bibbs County and Fayette County before hosting Benjamin Russell on Thursday.
