Panthers Take Wayne to Seven Innings on Senior Day

Pinnacle’s Jaxson Carlisle throws a strike against Wayne on Monday September 24, 2018. (Photo Credit:Loren Miller)
Pinnacle baseball lost to the Wayne Badgers 13-10 on senior day Monday. 
In their final home game of the season, the Panthers took the higher ranked Badgers down to the wire while honoring four seniors following the game. 
Wayne, who currently is in second place in the region standings, started off hot on Monday with a three run first inning against Pinnacle starting pitcher Jaxson Carlisle.
Pinnacle broke through in the second inning and tied the game at 3-3 off the bat of freshman first baseman McGuire Kocks.
With the bases loaded, Kocks hits a double to clear the bases to even the score with Wayne.
“He has done wonders for us this year at first baseman and when we need him to hit the ball, he hits the ball. He did what he was supposed to do and what he has been practicing for 15 years,” said Pinnacle Head Coach Eric Hansen. 
Pinnacle would take the lead over Wayne after the next batter Stetson Motte was able to advance a runner home off a hit and the Wayne first baseman dropping the ball.
The Badgers would tie the game in the third inning with an RBI triple.
A special moment happened for the Panthers when Carlisle broke the record for most strikeouts in a career at the 1A level. Carlisle threw his seventh strikeout of the game to break the state record of 218 career strikeouts.
“He is a great pitcher and he has grown immensely over the last three months, not only with his pitching but his head game. He knows what to do when he gets on the mound and he is going to be a great pitcher at the next level,” said Hansen.
Following the historical moment, the Panthers would allow four more runs and give Wayne a four-run lead going into the bottom of the fourth.
Pinnacle would make a comeback in the fourth with an RBI double from Motte, an RBI single from Carlisle, and a groundout by Zach Gibson to cut the lead to 8-7. 
Wayne would add a run in the fifth inning and lead 9-7 before the Panthers would continue to use some of their late inning magic to tie the game.
With the one out and the bases loaded, Pinnacle’s Mikey Vigil would come up with a clutch hit down the third base line to tie the game up at 9-9.
“He gives us that great that hit and scores those two runs to tie it going into the seventh inning which is where we want to be going against the second best team in our region,” said Hansen.
The magic would run out in the top of the seventh as errors and costly mistakes would give Wayne four more runs to go up 13-9.
 Pinnacle would add a run in the bottom of the seventh off a Wayne error.
After the game Hansen said he was proud of the way his team performed Monday because he saw a much improved team from the one that took on Wayne earlier this season.
 “I thought they did great and I thought it was the best they have played all season. We just took the second ranked team in our region to seven innings and they were scared. That is great motivation as we head into state this Saturday,” said Hansen.
Pinnacle will travel to Panguitch on Wednesday for their regular season finale and then will play in a state play-in game this Saturday. 
Location, times and opponent for the 1A State Playoffs for Pinnacle has been yet to be decided.
The Panthers currently sit at 11-13 and 4-9 in region play which puts them tied for seventh in the 1A Region South standings.