GRANGER — Much as their softball classmates did, visiting Panorama and Woodward-Granger divided a baseball twin bill Tuesday in which each team won by a single run.
Panorama (7-4, 7-3) handed W-G (13-1, 11-1) their first loss of the season with a 1-0 win in the opener, with the Hawks exacting revenge by scoring in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
W-G’s Alex Bice and Panorama’s Drew Taylor locked horns (or arms, as it were) in a pitcher’s duel in the first game. Bice allowed five hits and two walks while striking out six in seven frames, with Taylor fanning 10 and yielding only three hits in picking up the complete-game win.
An error allowed Hunter Holmes to reach base in the bottom of the fourth. He was doubled home by Evan Taylor for the only run of the game.
Reese Jamison, Joe Rhodes and Tate Lettow each had singles to account for the W-G offense.
Panorama was off to a quick start as the visitor on the scoreboard in the second game. Three hits and pair of costly errors allowed four Panthers to score and chased Hawk starter Jay Dorenkamp after just two-thirds on an inning.
Worth Henry came on in relief and silenced the rally with a quick out, then set about tossing a masterpiece, yielding only one run (unearned) on four hits while striking out five in pitching the 7-1/3 innings.
W-G had scored twice in the first frame and once in the third to close to within 4-3, then countered a Panther run in the fourth with one of their own as the score moved to 5-4. A sixth-inning tally tied the score, with neither team scoring in the seventh.
Henry decided to take matters into hands with his bat in the eight, with his single driving in the winning run.
Reese Jamison had three singles and a double while scoring three times and driving in a run. He now has 101 career RBIs, a new school record, resetting the 2013 mark established by Andrew McCune.
Joe Rhodes ahd three hits, two runs and a RBI, with Brandon Worley driving in two runs on two base hits.
Preston Walker pitched five innings for Panorama, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two. Dominic Walker allowed two hits and walked a batter while yielding a run in 2-1/3 frames. He also struck out two.
Brice Taylor pitched for the final one-third of an inning, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.
Each team will travel tonight for WCAC varsity doubleheaders, with Panorama at Des Moines Christian while W-G visits Van Meter in what has become an annual battle that has, for the past five seasons, determined the eventual conference champion.
