(June 19th, 2015) – STRYKER: The match-up was a tough one for both squads, as Pettisville made the short trip to Stryker to take on the Panthers in their home den. The Blackbirds quickly found themselves in a dogfight, with the Fulton County boys seeming to gain the upper hand late in the contest. Yet Stryker continued to fight back, pulling off a last minute rally to sneak away with the win.
The Panthers defeated Pettisville 5-4.
In its early phases, the game could only be described as a defensive struggle. The first 3 innings saw no runs scored by either side. Then, in the top of the fourth, Pettisville struck, tacking a run onto the scoreboard. Their advantage wouldn’t last, however, as the Panthers answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
With no runs put up by either team in the fifth inning, the Blackbirds were able to gain some breathing room in the sixth. A 2 run display gave the visitors a 3-1 lead, which Stryker’s 1 run rebuttal couldn’t top. Another run scored in the top of the seventh gave Pettisville a 4-2 advantage going into the final half-inning of the game. Yet the Panther offense wouldn’t relent, racking up 3 runs to earn a dramatic win.
Brody Shock guided his team to victory with a 2 for 3 showing from the plate. The junior-to-be hit for a pair of singles. Rising senior Panther Chad Ruffer also had a strong day in the batter’s box. Going 2 for 4, he hit a pair of singles as well.
Devin Beltz produced half of Pettisville’s runs in the loss. A 2 RBI single highlighted a 1 for 4 day by the Blackbird batter. Teammate John Rufenacht hit for a double, going 1 for 3 in the loss.
Accepting defeat on Pettisville’s behalf was sophore-to-be Landon Roth. In 6.2 innings of work, Roth allowed 4 earned runs off of 6 hits. He also amassed 5 strikeouts, while walking a trio of Panther bats.