KIM EKSTROM PHOTO
RANGELY | Rangely High School baseball took on a long week full of baseball from April 22-26 that included three varsity games and three junior varsity games. On Monday, the Panthers hosted the Moffat County Bulldogs in a varsity, junior varsity doubleheader. In game one, the Panthers scored first in the game when Tristan Moore scored on a single by Stetson Cudo. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Panthers until the top of the sixth inning when the Bulldogs plated their only run of the game on the Panthers Dylan LeBleu. LeBleu went the distance for the Panthers going seven innings strong while striking out eight and only walking one Bulldog hitter. LeBleu was able to lower his ERA to 1.14 after the outing
Trenton Files, CJ Lucero, Stetson Cudo and Grady Nielsen led the Panthers offensively who combined for seven of the Panthers eight hits on the day. Nielsen was able to drive in three runs on a bases loaded double to blow the score open for the Panthers in their seven run bottom of the sixth inning. The Panthers were able to get the Bulldogs in order to close out the game in the top of the seventh inning. The final ended up 8-1 in favor of the Panthers and brought their record to 4-8 on the season.
The Panthers JV team then took the field in game two of the day against Moffat County. Sophomore Anthony Lujan took the mound in his pitching debut and threw two strong innings for the Panthers. Lujan struck out five of the six batters that he faced. The Panthers fell at the end of the game 9-7 to the Bulldogs. The Panthers fought hard all game and the Panther coaching staff is very excited with the young talent in the program.
On Tuesday April 23, the Panthers JV hosted the Rifle Bears JV team for a double header. Freshman Justin Cudo took the mound in game one and did not disappoint in any faction of his pitching. Cudo threw four strong innings while only giving up two earned runs while striking out three Bears hitters and walking three Bears hitters.
The Panther bats were ready from the start against the Bears as the Panthers jumped out to a 10-0 score in the first three innings. Anthony Lujan recorded two hits along with Justin Cudo and each had an RBI. The Panthers had to weather a late Bears rally in the final three innings to win the game 10-8.
In game two, the Panthers matched the offensive output by the Bears in each inning and put up an eight-run bottom of the fifth inning to defeat the Bears 12-6 in game two. Freshman Keihlin Myers earned the win in his relief appearance where he threw three and one-third innings for the win.
Rangely finished out the week with a trip to Meeker for a 2A Western Slope League matchup. Dylan LeBleu took the mound again for the Panthers on three days’ rest to earn his third straight complete game win as the Panthers defeated the Cowboys 6-3. Grady Nielsen got the Panthers on the board early in game one when he smacked a double to the fence in right-center field to plate Tristan Moore and Trenton Files (courtesy running for Dylan LeBleu). The Panthers scored two more runs in the top of the second inning for a four to zero game and added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to make the game six to zero in favor of the Panthers. The Cowboys put across two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one more in the bottom of the seventh inning before falling to the Panthers. The game did have a 20-minute rain delay after the top of the second inning
In game two, the weather continued to be the driving force as the game ended in the bottom of the fifth inning due to lightning and more on the way in the forecast. Since the game was tied 6-6 neither the Panthers nor the Cowboys earned a mark in the win column. With the earlier win and the tie in the second game, the Panthers record is now 5-8-1 on the season. With the win in the league game against the Cowboys, the Panthers will host the 2A Western Slope League Northern pigtail game next week against the Meeker Cowboys.
Special to the Herald Times
