Rangely baseball teams thriving

RANGELY I The Rangely High School baseball team hosted the fifth annual Rangely Invitational Tournament last weekend and did very well.
The Panthers played the Union Cougars in the first round and came out on top 6-5 with Kelton Elam’s seventh inning game-winning hit. Elam wasn’t done with his clutch hits for the weekend, hitting another seventh inning single that helped the Panthers beat the Thomas Jefferson Spartans from Denver 6-5 . Rangely started Saturday with a 14-7 victory over Moffat County High School with the help of a solid pitching performance by Bryson Palacios. Later in the day, Rangely played Grand County High School from Moab, Utah. The game was 2-2 going into the sixth inning when the Panthers strung a bunch of hits together to score nine runs. The final score was 11-2.
After winning four in a row, the Panthers had to prove they were the best team in the tournament Sunday. Cameron Enterline threw a complete game shutout against Price, Utah, with the Panthers winning 15-0. With a 5-0 weekend record the Panthers won their tournament impressively. Receiving all-tournament honors: Bryson Palacios, Kody Denny, Kelton Elam and Dakota Marley (sophomore nephew of Coach Gary Denny). Elam also received the offensive player of the tournament award for his contributions. Chas Byerly, Chad Bolding , Kacey Denny, Gabe Garcia and Toby Gasper should not go unmentioned for their contributions to the Panthers’ success, either.
Also last weekend the Rangely 13-15 program won their league tournament in Craig. The high school coaching staff is excited about the young men coming up through the ranks at the 13-15 level and at the 311-12 and 8-10 levels. Coach Paul Fortunato would like to thank all the coaches that help the youth of Rangely progress as baseball players and young men: Tim Webber, Thad Noise, Jerry LeBleu, Jack Richens and, of course, coaches Wes Torsell and Gary Denny. Without the commitment from these individuals the Rangely High School baseball program would not be where it is at today.
The Panthers would also like to take this time to thank all the parents and fans for their support throughout the year, all the sponsors that help them participate throughout the school year and summer, and the wives and kids of the coaches for their sacrifices and contributions to the Rangely High School baseball program.