RANGELY | Part one of the annual Rio Blanco high school baseball showdown took place in Rangely on Thursday, May 2. The match pinned the visiting Meeker Cowboys 13-8 overall and 1-0 in Western Slope League play against the Rangely Panthers 8-5-1 and 2-0 in league play. The Cowboys emerged as the victor at the end of the game with a score of 12-1. The Cowboys pushed a steady offense the entire game and the Panthers could not capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities.
On Saturday, March 4, the force appeared to be with the Panthers as they hosted the Cedaredge Bruins in a non-conference match-up. In game one, Marcos Quintana toed the rubber for the Panthers in his first start since April 13 due to shoulder soreness. Quintana cruised through his first two innings showing his great three-pitch combo that keeps hitters at bay. The Panthers also gave Quintana a 9-0 lead through two innings to help him on the mound. Tristan Scott placed a well-timed triple over the head of the Bruins right fielder to plate three runs for the Panthers and push their lead to nine runs. Scott and freshman Hunter Fouch led the Panthers offense in the game. Scott drove in three RBIs for the Panthers and Fouch batted in four during his four at-bats.
The Bruins proved to be a tough foe as they battled their way back into the ball game in the top of the third inning. Untimely errors and clutch hits in the inning allowed the Bruins to push nine runs across and tie the game up. Not to be outdone in the inning, the Panthers offense answered back with four runs of their own to make the score 13-9 in their favor. The Bruins pushed two runs across in the top of the fourth inning making the score 13-11. The Panther offense came through again with three runs of their own pushing the game to 16-11. Both teams failed to score in the fifth inning, but the Bruins plated five runs in the top of the sixth inning and the Panthers answered back with two runs to bring the game to 18-16. The Panthers were able to keep the Bruins at bay in the top of the seventh inning after the Bruins were able to push a run across to bring the game to 18-17 in favor of the Panthers.
Game two featured more offense for each side but the Panthers secured game two victory with a score of 15-10. On the mound the Panthers started freshman pitcher Hunter Fouch as he went two and one-third innings for the Panthers before giving way to senior Dalton LeBleu who completed four and one-third innings. Fouch only gave up seven runs in his outing while striking out three Bruin hitters. LeBleu had his best outing of the season on the mound, only giving up three runs and striking out four. LeBleu gave way to fellow senior Kobey Chism who secured the last out of the game and gave the Panthers their tenth win on the season.
The Panthers offense was led in the game by sophomore Landon Bollinger who went four for four at the plate with one double and two RBIs. Braden Lucas, also a sophomore, had himself a game at the plate with three RBIs including one of his RBIs coming from a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. This was Lucas’s first career home run. The win secured the Panther’s third straight season of having double-digit wins as a program. The Panthers currently sit as the number 23 seed in the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index which dictates who makes the CHSAA Regional playoffs to earn a bid to the state tournament. The top 32 teams make the regional tournaments and battle for eight spots in the state tournament.
Special to the Herald Times