DIVISION IV BASEBALL: Uncharacterisic losses end season for Panthers

The Panthers, in uncharacteristic fashion, dropped two heartbreakers on Friday to end their season.

After losing a one-run lead in the seventh inning to Virginia City to start the day, the Panthers found themselves on the wrong side of a pitcher’s duel in a 4-2 loss to Whittel in the afternoon in the double-elimination state tournament at Mountain View.

“It was just a bad day,” Pahranagat Valley coach Brad Loveday said. “We couldn’t get our bats going all day. Sometimes it’s hard to get going again once you’ve been shut down. It’s just hard to get that confidence back.”

The Panthers (21-4) were two outs away from reaching the state championship game, but allowed a six-run inning Friday morning in a 6-1 loss to Virginia City.

Loveday said there might have been some carryover in his team’s second game.

“It was rough, just losing like we lost (earlier),” Loveday said. “Being two outs away and nobody on base. That’s rough. When you’re talking about kids that haven’t really lost much, it’s difficult to overcome. I feel like they still played hard. We just couldn’t get the bats going today. We just struggled.”

In the second game, Whittel’s Colton Ruby struck out six in a five-hitter to shut down the Panthers.

“Their pitcher did a really good job,” Loveday said. “He threw a great game.”

Pahranagat Valley did grab an early lead in the game, when Christian Higbee hit an RBI double to score Paden Higbee in the bottom of the first inning. But the Warriors answered with two runs in the third to take control.

Troy Libert drew a one-out walk to start the inning, advanced to second base on a single by Jacob Sharp and scored on an RBI single by Nicholaus Buchholz. Sharp, who finished 2-for-4, then came around to score on an RBI double by Peyton Galli, and the Warriors would not trail again.

“When a season ends with a loss, and not a win, it’s just tough,” Loveday said. “We had five seniors this year. … The kids are so used to winning and it’s tough when you don’t win. They start to expect it a lot.”

Wade Leavitt struck out 12 in a complete game for the Panthers, who got two hits apiece from Paden Higbee and Brandon Burris.

Virginia City 6, Pahranagat Valley 1 — Carlos Robledo’s grand slam capped a six-run seventh inning as the Muckers rallied by the Panthers in the first game of the day.

Robledo finished 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and four RBIs, and Clint Hess added a double for Virginia City, which trailed 1-0 after the first inning.

Burris hit a triple, and Caleb Hansen had an RBI for Pahranagat Valley.

Whittel 7, Tonopah 6 — The Warriors scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally past the Muckers.

Christopher Evans was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Buchholz added a double for Whittel, which trailed 6-3 going into the seventh inning.

Tonopah’s Ian Guthridge pitched a complete game and went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Connor Friel added a triple, two runs and an RBI, and David Ramsey was 2-for-3 with a double for the Muckers (17-10).