RANGELY I Not only did the Panthers beat county rival Meeker, they won the league championship at the same time.
Rangely routed the Cowboys in two games Saturday — 21-13 and 25-9. But, most importantly, the Panthers came away as league champs.
“We won the tiebreaker with Paonia,” said Rangely coach Wes Torsell. “We split with them both times. So the next tiebreaker would be runs scored against each other, and we won that.”
Saturday’s wins improved Rangely’s record to 13-2, with both losses coming against Paonia.
Freshman Dillon McTague improved his record to 6-0 with a win against Meeker. Kindal Cushman won the second game in relief.
“We’re excited about it (winning the league title),” Torsell said. “I don’t even remember the last time we won league. This is a big accomplishment for the seniors, who have put in a lot of hard work and dedication.”
Senior Adam Dahl, who has been on a tear, slugged two homes runs Saturday, giving him six on the season, all in the last week and a half, while fellow senior Cushman also hit a round-tripper, his fourth.
“Everybody contributed, one through nine,” Torsell said.
Dahl was named player of the week.
This Saturday, the Panthers play two games at Hayden. Districts start the weekend of May 7 at Cortez, but Rangely is hoping to fill an opening in its schedule before then.
“Altamont (Utah) canceled on us, so we’re trying to find another pickup game, because two weeks is a long time not to play baseball,” Torsell said.