Heber Springs Panthers (Heber Springs, AR) fans exited the stadium thrilled Saturday as they saw their softball squad nip the visiting Melbourne Bearkatz (Melbourne, AR), 7-4 in a non-league challenge.

The Panthers now sport a 13-1 record. They take the field next when they host Bauxite for a 4A Region 5 challenge on Tuesday, April 9. Heber Springs will face a Miners squad coming off a 6-3 non-league loss to Maumelle (Maumelle, AR). The Miners record now stands at 13-5.

With the loss, Melbourne falls to 17-4 on the campaign. The Bearkatz host Mountain View (Mountain View, AR) to face the Yellowjackets in a 3A Region 2 test on Tuesday, April 9. The Yellowjackets come into the test with a record of 7-5.