ABILENE – The Bangs Dragons notched an 8-1 victory over the Ozona Lions Friday night at Abilene Cooper High School in the first game of a Region I-2A baseball area playoff series.

The Dragons (19-8) and Ozona (14-11) will square off in Game 2 at 4 p.m. Saturday at Abilene Christian University with Game 3, if needed, to follow immediately afterward. The series winner will advance to face District 8 champion Stamford (21-6-1) in the regional quarterfinal round next weekend.

In Friday night’s victory, the Dragons struck for five runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Bangs added a single run in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth, while Ozona scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth.

Bangs generated nine hits – two from Kenny Cole, who drove in a pair; two from Hunter Newton; one from Brayden Gatlin, who plated two; one from Brody Newton, who collected an RBI; and one apiece from Skylar Minshew, Zack Ferguson and Conner Bible. The Dragons also drew three walks and were aided by four Ozona errors.

On the mound, Cole went the distance for Bangs and yielded one earned run on two hits with 12 strikeouts and a pair of walks.