Panther Baseball Team Hits Skid In Final Stretch
~ by Trevor Phipps ~
For a bright period following a trip to Arizona, the Panthers’ high school baseball team was on a roll and had a much better record than the Colorado Rockies. They appeared headed to the playoffs.
However, last week the boys lost two big games and may have shattered their prospects of a league title.
On April 15, the Panthers traveled down the pass to play the TCA Titans. The team’s coach Neil Levy knew that the game would be one of their toughest of the season, as the Titans are currently in first place in the Colorado Springs Metro 4A league. The team spent extra time practicing to prepare for the vital game but they were still shut out by a score of 14-0. Ouch.
The Panthers then played the Elizabeth Cardinals at home who are also in their league and hovering above the Panthers in the ranks. Mother Nature was on their side as the weather was probably the best they have experienced so far this year during a home game.
The Panther boys started out playing quite well and took the lead in the beginning of the game. But then the Cardinals came out swinging and started hitting the ball out of the park.
The Cardinals hit two home runs and were beating the Panthers 7-4 by the sixth inning. The visiting team did not let up and added more runs and gave the Panthers a 14-4 whipping.
The two league game losses dropped the Panthers in the ranks. Their now 2-2 league record makes their goal this year of winning their conference much less obtainable.
With their victory over the Panthers last week, the TCA Titans now top the league with a 4-0 record. Canon City is in second place with a 4-1 league record and the Elizabeth Cardinals are sitting in third place with a 3-1 record. The Panthers now sit in fourth place in their league and face a few more tough league matches.
This week the Panthers play three games, two of which are teams in their league. On Monday the boys have another home game against the Widefield Gladiators. And then on Wednesday, the Panthers travel down south to challenge the second place 11-5 Canon City Tigers. This Friday the boys play their only non-league game of the week as they play an away contest against the 12-5 Pueblo Central Wildcats.