Pattonsburg's Panthers were searching for their first win after their first two games, a 5-0 loss to Maverick Gentry and the Polo squad and a 7-2 loss to North Platte. They held down two potent teams and had plenty of traffic on the basepaths, but could never get the big hit to bring them in. They had a winnable game against Gallatin go off the boards due to the rain and cold and were still searching well into the season.
They were pitted against an expansion team in Stanberry, which is still searching for its first win of the year. The climb from the cellar has to start somewhere, and Landon Preston put on a dominant pitching performance to lead the Panthers (cooping with Gilman City and North Daviess) to a 15-0 win Thursday.
The wind was howling out to center Thursday and wreaking havoc as the balls were flying off the bats. After Reagan Coin dropped Cooper Adcock's drive to center with two outs, the Panthers made one of two outstanding defensive plays when shortstop Camden Griffth took a base hit away from Brody Carroll when he snagged a grounder on the second base side of first and got him for the final out of the first.
Reagan Coin wasted no time atoning for his error as he laid down a perfect bunt that rolled down the third base line that nobody had a play on. He stole second and third and Camden Griffith walked and stole. Landon Preston reached on an error as the third baseman bobbled his grounder, putting him on first and Griffith at third. That made it 1-0.
Camden Mossberg reached on another error to bring in another run to make it 2-0 and then Jace Estrada hit a pop fly into no man's land between the pitcher and third baseman that dropped untouched for a scratch hit to load the bases. Jace Estrada then lived a charmed life on the basepaths as he took off for second, forgetting that it was occupied. It took Stanberry a long time to realize what was going on, and by the time they threw down to first, Estrada was able to scramble back safely and Griffith crossed the plate to make it 3-0.
The adventures of Jace Estrada did not end there. With him on second and Mossberg on third, Alex Young struck out, the ball got away, and Young was out at first on a close play. Estrada took off for third, but Mossberg held, once again forcing Estrada to scramble back. The throw to second got away, scoring Mossberg and putting Estrada on third.
Collin Mason grounded out to score Estrada and Parker Virtue doubled off the left field wall to restart the Panthers. Virtue took third on a passed ball. Ethen Elder was plunked and Reagan Coin hit a grounder into the hole at short. Vincent Smithson had no play and everybody was safe, putting Elder on second and Coin on first as Virtue scored. Camden Griffith hit a laser beam off the left field wall for a double as Elder scored and Coin took third. Landon Preston doubled off the wall in left as Griffith and Coin scored to make it 9-0.
Jace Estrada, playing third base, made a spectacular play to take a hit away from Brant Jensen in the Stanberry second. Jensen hit a shot that looked headed for extra bases given that Estrada was playing well in from third. But Estrada, 300 pound frame and all, raced to the line, snagged it, threw off his back foot leaning away, and got Jensen out by half a step.
Estrada spent the rest of the game being a ball magnet for the Stanberry pitchers; he was plunked to start the Pattonsburg second. Alex Young walked and Colin Mason grounded out to move them to second and third. Ethen Elder singled down the left field line to score them both to make it 11-0.
Landon Preston walked to start the Panther third and went to second on a start/stop balk. Mossberg grounded out to advance him to third and Alex Young grounded out to score him to make it 12-0.
Brayden Dias reached first on Estrada's bobble to start the fourth, but Alex Young gunned him down at second to kill Stanberry's last chance to rally.
Pattonsburg was able to go home early after Reagan Coin was plunked and Camden Griffith reached on a dropped fly ball, putting Coin on second and Griffith on first. An errant pickoff throw put Coin on third. Landon Preston singled to left to score Coin to make it 13-0 and put Griffith on third; Preston took second when the throw went to third instead of the cutoff. Mossberg singled home the final two runs to put Pattonsburg over the top.
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