The Panther baseball team had a four game stretch lined up this past week, but was only able to play in two of those games due to the weather.

However, it was a tough week for the team.

First up was Nicholas County at home, and the weather was not exactly the best for baseball with spring still stuck in limbo. Levi Hosey took to the mound to get the game rolling. The Grizzlies scattered several hits in the first inning and racked up three runs before their fire was quenched. The Panthers turned on the heat in the first, as well, notching a run on the board. The Panthers added two more in the second to tie the game up at three each. After the first inning, the Grizzly bats came to a screeching halt. Levi Hosey went to work and started teaching English to the ball and it was like trying to hit a snowflake for the Grizzlies. Levi was relieved by his brother, Peyton Hosey, and he, like his brother, was hard to get hits off of. Panther bats took a chill pill in the 3^rd and 4^th innings and picked back up in the 5^th scoring another run to go ahead in the game 4-3.  After another pitching change for the Panthers, the Grizzlies came to life and scored six runs in the 6^th and 7^th innings, taking the game to the bank and winning by the score of Panthers 5, Grizzlies 9.

The Panthers then had an opportunity to play in Charleston at the Power Park against Gilmer County. It was an opportunity for redemption on the biggest stage in WV. It was once again Levi Hosey taking the mound for the Panthers. Gilmer got off four hits and scored two runs in the first, and it looked as though the game was going to get away from the Panthers. Panther bats heated up and they added a run of their own on two hits in the first. Just like in the Nicholas game, Levi settled down and started doing what he does best and that is to make a baseball dance.

He shut them down the next two innings, and the Panthers took advantage in the bottom of the third scoring four runs on five hits, making the game 5-2 Panthers. Levi was relieved by Colton Moore in the 4^th inning, and Gilmer took over the game.  Colton was throwing the heat, but Gilmer was reading the pitches like a book and had six hits and scored eight runs in the top of the 4^th inning before the fire went out.

The Panthers couldn’t return fire for the next three innings with Gilmer adding another four runs, making the score Panthers 5, Gilmer 14 at the top of the 7^th.  Caleb Wynn came in to relieve and close out the game.

He shut Gilmer down in the 7^th inning, and the Panthers had one more chance. They added three more in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough. When the smoke cleared, it was Gilmer on top by the score of Panthers 8, Gilmer 14.  The Panthers had eight runs on 10 hits and one error, Gilmer was 14 runs on 15 hits with five errors. The Panthers will play each day this week depending on the weather. Check your schedules for times and places.

Go Panthers!