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Panama Rallies In Class D Quarterfinals

Panama’s Tara Sweeney makes the out at first base as Pine Valley’s Karson Smuda runs down the line during Tuesday’s Section VI Class D quarterfinal at Deb Palmer Field in Panama. P-J photo by Cody Crandall

PANAMA — In order to make a successful run through the postseason, a team has to be comfortable dealing with adversity.

The second-seeded Panama Lady Panthers showed once again Tuesday on the diamond that they arguably play some of their best softball with their backs against the wall.

After falling behind, 4-0, to No. 7 Pine Valley in the third inning, Panama stormed back to score eight unanswered runs en route to an 8-4 victory in a Section VI Class D quarterfinal matchup at Deb Palmer Field.

The win vaults Panama into Thursday’s Class D semifinal against No. 3 North Collins, which took down No. 6 Brocton, 14-0, in another quarterfinal. That contest will take place back at Deb Palmer Field.

“They want to win, they know what they have to do to win,” Panama coach Tammy Hosier said following her team’s latest win. “They just never give up.”

Pine Valley was held off the scoreboard for the first two innings, but found a way to break through against Panama starter Francine Torres in the top half of the third, plating four runs.

The outburst was highlighted by a sacrifice fly from Zoe Nelson and a big two-run single off the bat of Cassie Kelly. Another run also scored on an error.

“Oh yeah (I was happy with the start),” Pine Valley coach Mark Mansfield explained. “(But) we made some baserunning errors that cost a few more extra runs maybe there, too. (Panama) changed pitchers, we didn’t adjust well enough to that pitcher. We still hit the ball some, but we didn’t manage any runs. … We made too many mistakes.”

Faced with a deficit, Panama began to chip away, starting in the bottom of the fourth.

The big blow was a key two-run single from eighth-grader Marra Hovey, but another run scored on an error earlier in the frame. When the inning was over, the No. 2 seed had pulled to within one at 4-3.

Then in the fifth, Lauren Barmore came up with a clutch two-run triple that she smashed over the center fielder’s head, scoring both Elle Angeletti and Ashlyn Harvey to put Panama up one, 5-4. Barmore then crossed the plate on a pitch that got past the Pine Valley catcher to make the score 6-4.

Two more insurance runs scored for the home team in the sixth, thanks to Hovey scoring on a passed ball and Abi Lisciandro just beating a throw home on a grounder off the bat of Angeletti.

Hovey (two hits), Angeletti (two hits) and Tara Sweeney (two hits) all had big days at the plate as well for the hosts.

“Hitting is such a momentum thing,” Hosier stressed. “That’s what we keep saying, it’s contagious. … We’ve got to keep everybody up because once it starts, it just keeps going.”

In the circle for Panama, Harvey relieved Torres with two outs in the third inning and turned in a tremendous performance, striking out five and only giving up three hits.

Malori Waag tossed a complete game in defeat for Pine Valley and struck out four. Offensively, Waag, Kaylee Crisanti, Kelley Andrews, Nelson and Kelly (two hits) collected knocks for the No. 7 seed.

“They keep fighting, these girls have never given up,” Mansfield emphasized. “I told all the juniors and sophomores who are coming back, ‘You’ve got to see what this feels like and be ready when you come back next year.'”

Panama will look to carry the momentum of the come-from-behind win into Thursday’s matchup against a talented North Collins squad.

“I just think that we have that never-die attitude,” Hosier stated. “That’s great going into (a game like Thursday). … I feel like we’re on a positive (note) going in (to Thursday).”

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