Panthers sweep Round Mountain; start playoffs with rematch

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With a 7-1 league record after a road sweep of Round Mountain on Friday, May 1, the Pahranagat Valley High School baseball team enters the regional playoffs as the top seed out of the Southern 1A.

The Knights put up a good fight in game one — with a little help — scoring five runs in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. The Panthers answered with a run in the sixth and a five-run seventh to win 11-9. 

Coach Adam Lytle shared, “We’re playing really well! No concerns based on the amount of times played. Mostly, I feel like playing them last week gave us a great scouting report.”

Senior Colin Howard led the Pahranagat Valley offense with two hits and two RBIs. Sophomore Bronson Fiatoa drove in two runs with a big hit and scored once. Jesse Stewart went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He didn’t fare as well on the mound, going 2.2 innings and allowing two hits and seven walks that led to seven runs. He struck out four and threw four wild pitches.

Howard pitched an effective four innings, striking out seven and allowing eight baserunners and just two to score. 

The Panthers cleaned it up considerably in the second game, cruising to a 21-4 victory in four innings. They amassed 17 hits and struck out just twice, with Howard going 3-for-3 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Fiatoa also had three hits, including a double, and he drove in three runs and scored three times. Colton Williams was 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs.

PVHS junior Braxten Tsosie allowed just one earned run on three hits and three walks while striking out three. He also had a single, a double, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. 

The teams will meet again at Indian Springs High School in the first round of the Southern 1A Playoffs at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7. With a win, there’s a good chance the Panthers will see the only team to hang a league loss on them this season — Liberty Baptist Academy. That semifinal is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. The first elimination game will follow at 3:30 p.m.