Wind plays factor in Panthers? baseball loss

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Pahranagat Valley coach Brad Loveday said winds were so heavy at times in the game at Sunrise Mountain in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the pitchers were blown
Freshman infielder Christian Higbee belts one for Paharnagat Valley in a recent game. The Panthers have an important double-header at co-league leader Tonopah on May 2. (Dave Maxwell photo)

When the wind blows strong, strange things can happen in baseball.

Pahranagat Valley coach Brad Loveday said winds were so heavy at times in the game at Sunrise Mountain in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the pitchers were blown off the mound a couple of times.

The wind was blowing straight out to center field, he said, ?any solid hit was really difficult for anybody to handle, ?and it was whoever got the lucky bounces due to the wind.?

Pahranagat was hitting the ball so well early on and was aided by the wind in the second inning, to score nine times. Loveday said the Sunrise Mountain centerfielder was right up against the fence in anticipation a ball would carry that far. ?Everything you hit was at the fence out there.?

Going into the bottom of the second inning, Pahranagat Valley had a 10-0 lead over Sunrise Mountain.

But the Miners also had the advantage of the wind, and got eight runs back in their half of the inning, plus another in the third, to trail only 11-9.

Then, said Loveday, Sunrise Mountain become more aggressive on the base paths and his team got ?a little tentative. Sunrise did a good job, they played well.?

Sunrise then held PVHS to just one more run in the course of the next four innings, while scoring seven of their own for a 16-12 win.

Angel Chavez went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and four RBIs for the Miners.

Sisco Solis-Escojeda broke a 12-12 tie with a run-scoring double, and Josh Brown added a two-run single as Sunrise Mountain scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Jordan Cryts went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Wade Leavitt went 3-for-5 with a triple for Pahranagat Valley. Teammate Christian Higbee added two doubles.

The Panthers (13-3) play at Virgin Valley (4-18) in non-league action this Friday, then host Lake Mead on April. 29.

They get back into league play for a very important double header at Tonopah May 2. The Muckers (20-2-1, 8-0) are the co-league leaders with Pahranagat. Loveday said this will likely decide the league title going into the league tournament.