ROYAL CENTER — After nearly knocking off Class 1A No. 2 Triton earlier this season, the Pioneer baseball team closed the deal against No. 3 Caston on Tuesday with an 11-7 victory.
The win was just the Panthers’ (4-13, 4-7 HNAC) fourth this season season while at the same time they knocked the Comets (15-4, 12-2) out of contention for the HNAC championship. Triton (17-2, 15-1) has secured the league title outright after Caston’s loss.
kAm%96 !2?E96CD 2=D@ 2G6?865 2 ac\e =@DD E@ E96 r@>6ED |@?52J 😕 uF=E@?]k^Am
kAm“x’> ;FDE 6I4:E65 7@C @3G:@FD=J E96 E62> 4@>:?8 @FE @7 J6DE6C52J’D 82>6 2?5 @H:?8 8@:?8 :?E@ E@52J E92E :E 5@6D?’E >2EE6C H92E 92AA6?65 J6DE6C52J[” !:@?66C 4@249 y@D9 w2C5J D2:5] “(6 8@E 2 ?6H 52J E@52J] qFE x H2D 92AAJ E96 H2J E92E H6 H6C6 288C6DD:G6 2E E96 A=2E6 7@C E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 82>6[ 6I4:E65 23@FE E96D6 EH@ 8FJD @? E96 >@F?5[ 5:5 2 8C62E ;@3 7@C FD] p?5 E96? @FC 5676?D6 96=5 E96> 5@H? E@@]”k^Am
kAmyF?:@C C:89E\92?56CD {2?6 (6=5J 2?5 r2CE6C r2C>:4926= 4@>3:?65 @? E96 H:? 7@C E96 !2?E96CD]k^Am
kAm(6=5J H6?E 7@FC :??:?8D 2?5 2==@H65 D6G6? CF?D W?@?6 62C?65X @? D:I 9:ED 2?5 E9C66 H2=:4926= 4=@D65 :E @FE H:E9 E9C66 :??:?8D @7 D4@C6=6DD C6=:67[ 2==@H:?8 EH@ 9:ED 2?5 E9C66 H2=
kAm“xE 766=D 8C62E] $:?46 x H2D 2 7C6D9>2? H6 92G6?’E 362E E96> J6E[” (6=5J D2:5] “(6 A=2J65 AC6EEJ 4=@D6 H:E9 %C:E@?[ D@ :E 76=E =:<6 H6 56D6CG65 E9:D @?6 7@C DFC6] $@ ;FDE 766=D C62==J 8@@5]”k^Am
kAm%96 r@>6ED 925 D4@C65 b` CF?D 😕 E96:C 7:CDE 6:89E 7C2>6D 282:?DE E96 !2?E96CD 367@C6 r2C>:4926= AFE FA E9C66 DEC2:89E K6C@D]k^Am
kAm“~FC 5676?D6 A=2J65 8@@5[ A:E49:?8 H2D 8@@5[ @FC 42E496C WwF?E6C $E@G6CX H2D 8@@5[ 5C@AA:?8 :?[ 3=@4<:?8[” r2C>:4926= D2:5] “~FC 32ED H6C6 8@@5 E@@[ D@ x H@F=5 D2J H6 H6C6 H6==\C@F?565]”k^Am
kAm(6=5J 925 EH@ 9:ED 2?5 EH@ #qxD E@ =625 !:@?66C] v236 $4@EE 925 2 D:?8=6 2?5 7@FC #qxD] rJ=:D z:DE=6C 925 2 D:?8=6 2?5 EH@ #qxD] pC49:6 q=:4<6?DE277 925 2 D:?8=6 2?5 #qx] qC2IE@? |24:6;6HD<: 25565 2 D:?8=6 2?5 CF? D4@C65]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD 92G6 D9@H65 E96J 42? A=2J H:E9 E96 36DE E62>D 😕 `p[ H9:49 H:== 8:G6 E96> D@>6 4@?7:56?46 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 FA4@>:?8 %C:\r@F?EJ $64E:@?2=] %96J 5C6H (6DE r6?EC2= W`_\cX 2E e A]>] |2J af]k^Am
kAmr2DE@? ;F?:@C 246 r2CD@? w2C?6DD H2D C@==:?8 C:89E 2=@?8 2E E96 DE2CE @7 E96 82>6] w6 2==@H65 ;FDE @?6 H2=< E9C@F89 E96 7:CDE E9C66 :??:?8D H9:=6 DEC:<:?8 @FE 7:G6]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 C2? :?E@ >2;@C AC@3=6>D 😕 E96 “\CF? 7@FCE9 H9:49 :?4=F565 7@FC H2=256 9:> 92G6 E@ 86E D:I @FED :?DE625 @7 E9C66]k^Am
kAm“w6 5:5 9:E 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 2 H2== 2?5 >:DD65 E96 DEC:<6 K@?6 2 =:EE=6 3:E[” r2DE@? 4@249 q=2<6 |@==6?<@A7 D2:5] “xE H2D 2 =:EE=6 E:89E6C K@?6[ 3FE x E9:?< :E H2D E96 D2>6 3@E9 H2JD] xE H2D?’E =@AD:565] $@ 2 4@FA=6 H2=2<6 E96 A=2JD @? E96> E92E H6 EJA:42==J 5@[ 2?5 D@>6 9:ED 27E6C E92E[ 2?5 :E 92AA6?D]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C ;F>A:?8 @FE E@ 2 f\_ =625 E96 r@>6ED H6C6 D9FE @FE @G6C E96 7:?2= E9C66 :??:?8D]k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 H6 DE:== 9:E E96 32== H6== E96C6 =2E6[Q |@==6?<@A7 D2:5] QxE’D ;FDE D@>6E:>6D x E9@F89E D@>6 @7 E96 8FJD H96? H6 H6C6 369:?5 AC6DD65 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ 8@E >2J36 8@E @FE 7C@?E 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ 3FE 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE H6 DE:== AFE E96 32== 2?5 A=2J65 92C5] %96J 925 D@>6 4@?7:56?46 C66=:?8 @77 E92E :??:?8 >256 A=2JD 2?5 H6 H6C6?’E 23=6 E@ 4C24< :E 282:?]”k^Am
kAmr2DE@? @FE9:E !:@?66C `_\e] qC@5:6 w@H2C5 2?5 t=: w@==@H2J 925 EH@ 9:ED 2?5 EH@ #qxD 2A:646 7@C E96 r@>6ED] v2G:? |@==6?<@A7 9:E 2 E9C66\CF? 5@F3=6] {F4:FD t5D@? 2?5 {@?5@? w6C5 6249 925 2 D:?8=6 2?5 EH@ CF?D D4@C65] {@82? |@==6?<@A7[ %F4<6C (@@=6G6C 2?5 !2C<6C +:>A=6>2? 6249 25565 2 9:E]k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 A:E4965 EH@ :??:?8D @7 D4@C6=6DD C6=:67 7@C r2DE@?[ 2==@H:?8 @?6 9:E H9:=6 DEC:<:?8 @FE E9C66] w2C?6DD’ 7:?2= =:?6 H2D 7@FC :??:?8D[ “ CF?D W7:G6 62C?65X[ 7:G6 9:ED[ 7:G6 H2=
kAm%96 r@>6ED 76== D9@CE @7 2 4@?76C6?46 E:E=6 3FE 92G6 3:886C 82>6D 29625] %96J 5C6H $@FE9 }6HE@? Wb\`aX 2E dib_ A]>] |2J ag 2E E96 %C:\r@F?EJ $64E:@?2=]k^Am
kAm“*@F’G6 ;FDE 8@E E@ 3F:=5[” |@==6?<@A7 D2:5] “{:<6 x E@=5 E96 <:5D[ J@F 42? 6:E96C 86E 3:EE6C @C 86E 36EE6C] $@ 2E E9:D A@:?E J@FVG6 8@E E@ >2<6 E92E 564:D:@? E@ 86E 36EE6C] (6 =@D6 2 4@?76C6?46 492>A:@?D9:A E@?:89E] qFE J@F’G6 8@E E@ 3F:=5 2?5 H@C< E96 ?6IE H66< 2?5 2 92=7 E@ 36 C62==J 8@@5 E9C@F89 E96 D64E:@?2=]”k^Am
kAm!:@?66C 😀 324< 😕 24E:@? %9FCD52J 2E 9@>6 282:?DE $@FE9 r6?EC2=[ H9:=6 r2DE@? H:== A=2J }@CE9 |:2>: 2E e A]>] uC:52J 2E wF?E:?8E@? &?:G6CD:EJ] k^Am