LIBERTY — The Bridge City Cardinals got their playoffs on the right track Friday night by taking down the Liberty Panthers 7-4 in Game One of their Class 4A Region III bidistrict series at Liberty High School.

Tod McDowell got the Cardinals (19-7-1) on the board in the top of the third with a RBI groundout.

Tanner Doiron gave the Redbirds some insurance in the top of the fifth when he slapped a two-run single.

The Panthers (12-11), the third-place team out of District 23-4A, trimmed the margin to 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

The Cardinals, who tied Silsbee for the District 24-4A title but entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, picked up three more runs in the top of the seventh to go up 7-1.

The Panthers, however, kept battling, tallying three runs in the bottom half of the seventh before the Cardinals managed to put out the fire.

Game Two shifts back to Bridge City today at 2 p.m. Game Three, if necessary, will follow 30 minutes after Game Two.

The winner of the Bridge City series will face in the area round next week. Bellville hammered Houston Scarborough 24-1 Friday night.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears, the fourth-place team out of District 24-4A, will entertain District 23-4A champions Huffman Falcons today at 2 p.m. in the friendly confines of Don Gibbens Field at LC-M High School in a one-game affair.

The winner between the Bears and Falcons will take on ether Caldwell or Houston Washington in the area round next week.