GRANGER — The baseball teams from Panorama and Woodward-Granger have engaged in a series of nail-biters over the past two seasons.
In 2018 the Panthers were 1-0 winners and the Hawks 6-5 victors, with W-G winning by margins of 4-2 and 1-0 earlier this season.
Saturday’s Class 2A District 14 Final was — surprise! — tied at 3-all after three frames, but a trio of Panorama runs in the fourth and two more in the seventh produced an 8-3 Panther win.
Panorama (12-3) advances to face another WCAC foe — Des Moines Christian — at North Polk Tuesday in the Substate 7 Final. The Lions (14-6) were 6-1 winners over South Hamilton (9-8) in Saturday’s District 13 Final. DMC and Panorama met once this season, with the Panthers winning, 6-2, in Panora June 18.
The loss ends an outstanding run for 11 seniors from fifth-ranked W-G (18-5-1). The group was 89-29-1 (.754) in their four-year stint for the Hawks.
Panorama put three quick runs on the board in the top of the fourth, with three runs from the hosts in bottom of the third erasing their deficit. Errors played a role for both teams, with five W-G miscues leading to four unearned Panther runs while all three of the Hawk runs were unearned as Panorama committed four errors.
The Panthers regained a three-run advantage with a trio of tallies in the top of the fourth. A pair of tallies in the seventh provided the final margin.
Reese Jamison and Trevor Simmons each hit doubles for W-G, with Bryce Achenbach and Christian Husmann adding hits. Simmons, Brandon Worley and Worth Henry each drove in a run, with Henry, Jack Grell and Tate Lettow each drawing a base on balls. Achenbach, Henry and Worley each scored for the hosts.
Drew Taylor had the hot wand for the guests, ripping three singles and a double while driving in two runs. Luke South had a single, a double and two RBIs, with Dominic Walker, Brice Taylor and Preston Walker also had hits while Dominic Walker drove in two runs and Evan Taylor was hit by a pitch.
Preston Walkers, Eric Taylor and Malachi Peasley had walks for Panorama, with Drew Taylor and South each scoring twice. Brice Taylor, Evan Taylor, Klayton Bremer and Peasley also scored.
South started and threw three innings. He allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while hitting one batter and striking out four. Drew Taylor cleaned up with four scoreless innings of relief, surrendering two hits while striking out five.
Panorama will have to face DMC without South, who will report Monday to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Caden Easter allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits, a walk and a hit batter in four innings for W-G. Alex Bice tossed two frames, allowed three unearned runs on five hits and two walks while Jay Dorenkamp allowed a run on two hits. Easter fanned five batters, Bice two and Dorenkamp one.
