The Grace Christian Academy Cougars baseball team finished second in the Panhandle Christian Conference’s Eastern Division with a 5-1 conference record.

Emmanuel Christian School of Dothan, Ala., finished with an identical record in conference play, and edged out Grace for first place on the tie-breaker system of most runs scored.

Emmanuel and the Cougars are at Covenant Christian School in Panama City, Fla., this weekend competing in the conference Final 4 with Western Division schools Central Christian and East Point Christian.

Competition began Friday and concludes today.

Cougars Coach Greg McDonald said his team showed a lot of courage and never gave up this season.

“I am very proud of how far we have come,” McDonald said. “We started out strong, struggled to get hits later in the season, then came back strong again in the East Regional Tournament May 1 in Dothan, Ala.”

The Cougars, were led all season by the pitching of Taylor McDonald and Jordan Davis. They edged Maranatha Christian School of Tallahassee, Fla., 15-14 on a walk-off, two-run single by Grant McDonald in the bottom of the seventh inning of a first-round Regional Tournament game.

The Cougars Grant McDonald, Taylor McDonald and Jordan Davis were named All-Conference.

Grant McDonald had three hits and Taylor McDonald, T.J. Carlisle, Colby Swicord and Felix Amaya had two hits each. Taylor McDonald was the winning pitcher.

Maranatha, which was playing its final athletic event, as it closes its doors this month, was led by Cody Rowan, Tim Hall and Ethan Manos with three hits each.

Manos had four runs batted in, Rowan had two and Hall had one. Caleb Lockard had two hits.

In the final game of the tournament, the Cougars led Emmanuel Christian School 4-0 going into the fourth inning. A three-run home run by Emmanuel pitcher Mitch Lucky helped them pull out a 7-6 victory and win the tournament.