Photo: 9 Jake Burton applies the tag on 3 Damien Mercado for the out
Varsity Baseball
The Badgers home opener did not go quite as planned as Paradise Honors Panthers beat Prescott 9-7, on a cool rainy afternoon.
The Panthers jumped on top with three runs in the second. Adrian Sanderford responded with a home run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 3-1.
The Panthers opened up a 7-1 lead in the fourth, that included two big errors chasing Badger starting pitcher Parker Reed, who went 3 2/3, allowing seven runs, six earned, with three strike outs and three walks, on six hits.
The Badgers came back with a five spot to pull within 7-6 in the bottom of the inning. Jack Burton and Lukas Barrett were hit by pitches. A single by Sanderford scored Burton, with Barrett sliding into home on a passed ball. Sanderford would also score on a passed ball. Andrew Lyon walked, then Paul Fernow singled Reed. Cooper Magnett singled in Lyon, and Fernow scored on a wild pitch. A strikeout and a fly ball to right ended the inning with Magnett, the tying run, at third.
Photo: Andrew Lyon allowed one earned run in 2.1 innings of middle relief work
Andrew Lyon tossed 2 1/3 innings of middle relief, coming in to relieve Reed with two outs in the fourth, said “You just have to get past the weather, and keep at it. Some days you have it, some you don’t, but that’s baseball. I just go out and give it my best every time, and hopefully it works out.”
The Panthers (7-4), added a pair of runs thanks to some Badger miscues in the sixth. Prescott got one of those back when Brendan Costes scored from third on a balk call. Ryan Orvis pitched a clean seventh with one strikeout, keeping the deficit at two.
Photo: Cooper Magnett talks strategy with coach Barry Tolli
A two out single by Lukas Barrett kept the game alive in the seventh. An error on the hit, put Barrett at second base, bringing the tying run to the plate. A fly out to right center ended the game, dropping the Badgers to (5-4) on the season.
Coach Barry Tolli said, “I thought we played terribly and that our defense was an extreme let down today. Up to this game we had played really good defense. Today we looked like last year, and that is disappointing. Paradise Honors did a good job, and took advantage of us when we let them.” Switching gears, looking back at last week and a 4-1 tournament record, Tolli added, “We looked good over there and played well enough to take four of five. I was proud of the guys with their effort.”
The Badgers will begin Grand Canyon Region play against Coconino in Flagstaff at 4 pm, later this week after the rain out of a home game on Tuesday.
PARADISE HONORS PANTHERS 9, PRESCOTT BADGERS 7
Innings- 123 456 7 – R H E
Paradise Honors 030 402 0 – 9 9 2
Prescott 010 501 0 – 7 6 4
WP-Nicolini
LP-Reed
SCOREBOARD
Fountain Hills 4, Chino Valley 3
Estrella Foothills 2, Mingus 1
Varsity Softball
The Badgers came up a run short in a lengthy 12-11, 11 inning home loss to the Arcadia Titans.
Prescott was led by Gracie Pereira, who nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double, and triple and three RBIs, and Ava Hlavacek with a three run homer. Camerann Carr had three hits. Kennedy Carr and Elle Long had a pair of hits each.
RJ Parra went the distance in the circle, allowing only three earned runs, striking out 15, and walking nine.
Arcadia improves to (7-8), while Prescott slips to (1-4). The Badgers will host Coconino on Thursday at 4pm.
SCOREBOARD
Greenway 4, Bradshaw Mountain 0
Chino Valley 26, Fountain Hills 6
Deer Valley 8, Lee Williams 0
