Chiefs drop two games to Panthers in region series

By John Smithson

The NMB Chiefs varsity baseball team was undefeated going into the first of two region games with the Carolina Panthers. Last Monday the Chiefs began their short series at Carolina Forest and lost in a pitcher’s duel 3-1.

The Chiefs faced Panthers ace Parker Reavis in game one. Reavis was undefeated coming into last week’s game and had an earned run average under one.

The Chiefs got two runners on to lead off the game against Reavis with Kaden Lank hitting a single to left and Peyton Gallup’s bunt single. Evan Steudl tried to sacrifice the runners, but Reavis forced the lead runner at third and then struck out Sawyer Smith and Trevor Mitchetti to end the Chiefs threat.

The Panthers scored two runs in the bottom of the second after the Chiefs were down in order. Four singles off Gabe Priest did the damage. And gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

Porter Anglin homered to lead off the Chiefs third, but Reavis got a ground out and two of his 14 strikeouts to end the top of the third with the Panthers ahead 2-1. Carolina Panthers Jackson Riser homered with two outs in the bottom of the third inning to make it 3-1, and Reavis finished the game with that same score and another win.

The Chiefs and Panthers met for game two at The Hank last Wednesday. Fisher Nichols started for the Chiefs and gave up an unearned run in the top of the first inning on two Chiefs errors.

The Chiefs tied it in the bottom of the first inning. Gallup walked and stole second and scored on a Sawyer Smith single to left field. The Panthers scored one run in the top of the second on a groundout after a double and single to go back up 2-1.

Riser followed a single in the third with a homer to left and 4-1 Panthers lead. A double, a walk and wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and they both scored on a single by Gavin Speedling for a 6-1 lead. The Chiefs cut the lead to 6-3 on singles by Lank and Steudl, a wild pitch and Michetti single to center.

Sawyer Smith came in to pitch in the top of the fourth and the Chiefs pulled a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Chiefs got another run in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Williams walked and scored on a Lank double to center. Panthers still led 6-4.

The Chiefs tied it up in the bottom of the fifth inning. Steudl walked, and after Smith struck out, Mitchetti doubled to left with Steudl moving to third. Gabe Priest doubled to center with Mitchetti and Steudl scoring and the game tied 6-6.

The Chiefs got a double from Lank in the bottom of the sixth and he moved to third, but the Chiefs couldn’t get him in. The teams failed to score in the seventh. The Panthers loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but the Chiefs forced one runner at home and Smith struck out Riser to end the top of the eighth.

The Chiefs had two runners on in the bottom of the eighth but couldn’t score. Both teams failed to threaten in the ninth and tenth innings. Jake Frick came in to pitch for the Chiefs in the eleventh inning. The Chiefs got a runner to second with one out in the eleventh but couldn’t score.

The Chiefs and Panthers each had a runner on in the twelfth, but nothing came of it.

The thirteenth inning turned out to be the lucky one for the Panthers. A walk, and two singles with one out loaded the bases. Reavis hit a sacrifice fly to center but the runner on second was out at third, the run scoring and the inning over with the Panthers now ahead 7-6.

The Chiefs had to score a run to tie. Williams was out on a fly to center. Lank singled to right and Gallup was hit by a pitch with Lank moving to second. Steudl then hit a grounder to the shortstop Pasco who went to second and on to first for the inning ending, game ending double play.

Over four hours from the time of the first pitch the Chiefs and Panthers had almost played two games. The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker they felt they needed to win for the region race. A lot will depend on that final game with Carolina Forest and the two series remaining with a very good St. James team and Myrtle Beach.

This week the Chiefs participated in the old Mingo Bay, now SAB Invitational Tournament. They played at home this week with three games scheduled at The Hank for the Chiefs and other teams playing at NMB, one of many sites devoted to this tournament.