Pampa began round two of district play on Good Friday with a 2-1 victory over the Hereford Whiteface in Pampa. The Harvesters then traveled to Perryton on Tuesday of this week in a must-win game. Any sport you play in Perryton it is hard to come back with a victory. This was no different as Pampa won 8-4. Pampa hosts Borger for senior night on Friday of this week before they begin the crucial stretch of games with Canyon, Dumas, and West Plains. However, they cannot overlook the Bulldogs despite what the records may indicate. Pampa is now 11-11 overall and 6-3 in district play with five regular season games remaining.
Hereford
The best thing which could happen for Pampa is for the Harvesters to beat someone in round two they did not beat in round one. They got the chance right with the first game of round two. Senior Tyler Reed started the game on the mound for Pampa. He got two quick outs to begin the game before walking three guys to load the bases. It could have been an early disaster but he got Hereford’s catcher to fly out and end the threat right away.
Reed tried to help his cause with a single of his own on a fly ball to center in the bottom of the first but the inning ended quickly on the bases with a runner caught stealing.
After a leadoff single to begin the second, Reed recorded his second strikeout of the game and got two more guys to line out and quickly end that frame.
Freshman Max Neff wanted to get the Harvesters on the board first as he began the bottom of the second with a triple to center. Fellow Freshman Jarren Hill then had a sacrifice fly to bring home Neff. Junior Zanden Salazar walked and then Sophomore Brooks Barton smacked a double to center. Unfortunately, a runner was again caught off the base and the inning ended abruptly. Pampa led 1-0 after two complete.
No major action happened for either team in the third inning.
Hereford was able to put one run on the board and tie the game after a couple of singles and a runner coming home to score on a passed ball. Pampa was unable to answer in their half of the fourth and the score rested 1-1 through four innings.
Reed sat down the Whiteface in 1-2-3 order in the fifth and picked up another strikeout along the way. Pampa could not get anything going again in their half of the fifth.
Reed once again sat down the Whiteface in 1-2-3 order in the sixth with two more strikeouts to add to his total. Reed had a chance to give himself the lead in the bottom of the sixth before he grounded into an inning-ending double play. The game was tied up at one all with one inning to play.
Reed started the seventh but after a walk, Sophomore Isaiah Estrada came in to finish the inning and record two fly outs. Pampa was looking to win another game, possibly on a walk-off yet again.
The inning started ugly for Pampa with a flyout and groundout. There were two quick outs and it looked like extra innings was likely. Hill had other ideas though! He singled on a ground ball to short. Then, on an attempted pickoff play the ball went out of play letting him advance to third base. The very next pitch to Salazar was high and nearly hit Salazar. However, it was a blessing for Pampa it did not as the ball bounced off the backstop and Hill was able to come home and score the winning run on a passed ball. Final: Pampa 2, Hereford 1. It was a much needed win over someone the Harvesters did not beat in round one.
Reed pitched 6.1 innings allowing four hits and one earned run. He struck out six batters. Estrada pitched 0.2 innings allowing no hits, no runs and picking up the win with the walk-off by Pampa.
Reed, Neff, Hill, and Barton all recorded hits in the game. Barton had the triple and Neff had a double. Salazar and senior Michael Campos both recorded walks in the game as well.
Perryton
Perryton is always a tough place to play no matter what the record indicates. Tuesday showed this was not any different again. Barton got the start on the mound for Pampa. With Perryton, and then Borger on Friday, Pampa cannot lose to either team as they are both the worst teams in the district.
Sophomore Judsen Hancock led the game off with a line drive single to right. Campos bunted him over on a sacrifice bunt. The scoring threat quickly ended with two pop outs.
Barton sat the Rangers down in 1-2-3 order with a pop out, ground out, and line out in their half of the first.
Pampa went down in 1-2-3 order themselves in the top of the second. Barton recorded a strikeout to begin the bottom of the second. After that, things got a little dicey. A runner reached based on a walk. Then, the next one reached on a dropped third strike. Another walk loaded the bases. Barton bowed up and struck out the next batter with the bases loaded. The inning looked like it would be over with a ground ball to shortstop but Senior Huston Skinner was unable to field it cleanly and Perryton drew first blood, 1-0.
Skinner redeemed himself quickly with a one-out double to center in the third. Hancock reached on an error when the throw by the shortstop pulled the first baseman off the bag. Hancock stole second and Skinner was able to score as the double steal was on and the catcher threw the ball into the outfield. Neff then doubled to center to score Hancock and Pampa led 2-1.
Barton gave up a single to start the bottom of the third before recording another strikeout. The runner was able to advance to second on a bad pickoff play and to third on a passed ball. A sacrifice bunt was able to score the runner and the batter reached first as Freshman Boston Botello could not field the ball cleanly at first. Barton bowed up and recorded two more huge strikeouts to end the inning. Pampa and Perryton were tied 2-2 after three.
Just as Skinner did, Botello quickly redeemed himself with a double to right field. Unfortunately, Pampa hit into a double play and the threat to score was over.
Barton began the fourth with another strikeout and got two groundouts following a walk to keep the score 2-2 after four innings.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Hancock walked and Campos singled to center and Neff walked. Pampa had the bases loaded for Barton. He smacked a ball to deep right field but it was not deep enough to get out and was caught close to the warning track for the final out in the fifth.
After a single and an error, Perryton looked to try to get the lead. However, Barton was able to get two ground outs and end the inning.
The top of the sixth began with Sophomore Isaiah Anguiano being hit by a pitch. Botello laid down a good sacrifice bunt to advance him. Two passed balls were able to let Anguiano get to third and home to give Pampa a 3-2 lead. Salazar walked as well as Skinner in the inning but Pampa was unable to add to the lead.
Barton walked the first batter in the bottom of the sixth before Anguiano came in to pitch and record two huge strikeouts and a lineout quickly ended that threat. Pampa would go into the final inning with a 3-2 lead and hoped to gain some insurance runs.
Campos got things started with a walk on an 11 pitch at-bat. The next two batters for Pampa got out and it looked like the insurance runs would not come. However, the Harvesters never quit. Anguiano walked. Botello singled on a line drive to center. The score was 5-2 after the Botello single thanks to courtesy runner Sophomore Chace McLaughlin scoring on a balk by the pitcher before Anguiano came home to score on the Botello hit.
Salazar singled to short. Estrada also singled to short and that scored Botello to make it 6-2. Skinner continued his hot hitting with a double to left to score Estrada and Salazar. Pampa led 8-2 now heading into the final frame for the Rangers.
Playing in Perryton is never easy and weird things always happen. It looked like the win was in the bag now but the Rangers had other ideas. Estrada was in to pitch this final frame for Pampa. The leadoff batter walked. A fielder’s choice gave Pampa one out with a runner on first. Then, a double and a single happened and Perryton scored a run to make it 8-3. Two more walks put another run on the board and it was 8-4 now with the bases still loaded for the Rangers. Estrada bowed up just like Barton and Anguiano did and recorded two huge strikeouts to end the game. Final: Pampa 8, Perryton 4.
Barton pitched 5 innings allowing just two hits and zero earned runs. He struck out seven batters and got the win. Anguiano pitched one inning allowing zero hits or runs and striking out two batters. Estrada pitched one inning and recorded two strikeouts.
Skinner was 2-3 with two doubles and two RBIs as well as a walk. Botello was 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Neff was 1-3 with a double and an RBI.
Hancock had a single, a steal, and two walks. Campos had a single and a walk. Estrada had a single and an RBI. Anguiano had a walk. Salazar had a single and a walk along with a stolen base.
District Standings as of April 12 (Top 4 will make playoffs):
Randall 9-0
Canyon 7-2
Hereford 6-3
Pampa 6-3
West Plains 4-5
Dumas 2-7
Perryton 2-7
Borger 0-9
Other games on Friday: Hereford @ West Plains. Randall @ Canyon. Perryton @ Dumas.
Other games on 4/18: Randall @ Hereford. West Plains @ Perryton. Dumas @ Borger.
Pampa hosted Borger on Friday in Pampa. Every district game is important at this time of the season. They will be back in action at home against Canyon on Tuesday of next week. Catch up on the recap of those games next week! All games are live-streamed on the GameChanger app. You can also catch Jamisen Hancock and Ben Campbell with the radio call for KDRL 103.3 FM. Their radio broadcast will also be on the live stream.
