RANGELY | The top two baseball teams in the 2A Western Slope League squared off against each other on Thursday, April 26 at the Field of Dreams in Rangely. Meeker came into the game with a 9-6 overall record and a 2-0 mark in league play. Rangely came in with a 6-4 overall record and a 2-0 league record. This was the first match-up between the two teams and a battle for first place in league play. Meeker was able to get the best of the Panthers with a final score of 8-3.
The Cowboys were the first to plate any runs when they scored two runs in the top of the second inning. The Panthers squandered to many opportunities on their offensive end to counter the Cowboy scoring. The Panthers did score in the bottom of the fourth inning when they were trailing the Cowboys six to zero. The Panthers scoring happened when junior Dalton LeBleu and sophomore Marcos Quintana scored on a double from senior Drake Miller to right-center field. This brought the game back into reach for the Panthers.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Panthers plated one more run when Quintana scored his second run of the game from a single by sophomore, Landon Carlson. The Cowboys scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning that the Panthers could not answer to. The game ended in the next inning with the Cowboys winning, 8-3. Marcos Quintana started the game on the mound for the Panthers as he took his 3-0 record to the test. Quintana threw for five innings as he gave up seven hits, six runs (4 earned runs), five walks and seven strikeouts while facing 26 hitters. Carlson came in to relieve Quintana on the mound and threw for two innings. In Carlson’s two innings, he gave up two runs (0 earned runs) one walk and zero strikeouts. The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-1 in league play and will face Meeker again on May 4 in Meeker to finish out the two teams league play.
On Friday, April 26, the Panthers took to the road to Nucla, Colorado to take on the 1A Mustangs. Looking to bounce back from the loss earlier in the week to Meeker, Carlson took the mound again to face the Mustangs. Carlson threw five great innings for the Panthers as he gave up four runs (two earned runs), two walks, and nine strikeouts. Carlson gave way to senior, Luis Quintana. Quintana threw great for the Panthers, but the defense could not keep the baseball at-bay as the defense suffered four errors in the inning and the Mustangs took the lead at 9-8. The Panthers could not take the lead back as they left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning when the game ended.
In game two, the urgency to bounce back and end the two-game losing skid for the Panthers was the goal. The Panthers did just that as they jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and won the game with the final score of 14-6. Sophomore Tristan Scott threw six great innings in his first outing since April 1. Scott surrendered seven hits while giving up four earned runs. Scott walked five Mustang hitters while striking out four. This was Scott’s first win on the mound this season for Rangely and the first of his early career also.
The Panthers currently sit at a 7-6 overall record and a 2-1 mark in league play. The Panthers will travel to Meeker on Thursday, May 4 for their last league game. On Saturday the Panthers will then host the 3A Cedaredge Bruins in a non-league match-up between the two previous league teams. The Panthers are currently sitting in 26th place in the CHSAA seeding index poll which determines which teams will go to the playoffs. The top 32 teams will make the regional round of playoffs and compete for the 2023 State Baseball Championship.
Special to the Herald Times
