The streak is dead.
The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers (4-13, 1-7 5A/4A Southwestern League) entered Friday’s home contest against the Montrose Indians (8-7, 2-6 5A/4A Southwestern League) winless in their last 50 Southwestern League games.
The streak dated to April 22, 2011, when the Panthers beat Montrose 2-1. Since then, they’ve been oh-fer against league foes.
But at McAndrews Field in Cortez on Friday, the Panthers rallied together to get their first league win since their group of seniors was in seventh grade.
Those seniors were largely responsible for the Panthers’ 11 hits and 10 runs in the 10-9 win.
Ian Roberson was 3-for-4, with two runs and an RBI, Andrew Laymon was 2-for-3 with two runs, and Aron Engel went 1-for-2 with a run and two RBIs.
Junior Coby Baer tripled and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, and freshman Kale Hale chipped in with a hit and RBI in his only at-bat.
But the Panthers didn’t win by overpowering the visitors.
“We played some small ball in the middle of the game, stole some bases, put some bunts down and moved guys around,” said head coach Travis Greenlee. “And we just kept fighting.”
And when it came down to it – tied entering the bottom of the seventh inning – the Panthers found success by following the strategy that Greenlee has preached all season: Taking quality at-bats.
It wasn’t a walk-off homer or multiple lined shots to the outfield that sent M-CHS out with a win.
The Panthers plated the winning run after Jason Engel, Cutter Mathews, Laymon and Baer drew four consecutive walks.
“That was a big difference,” Greenlee said of his team’s discipline at the dish. “Our quality at-bats were above fifty percent, and when we have that, we win games. They were patient and took great at-bats yesterday and made it happen.”
Although the Panthers may not have known the exact length of their losing streak in the Southwestern League, they were aware that it had been awhile and were ecstatic with the win.
“One of the boys said it was like we had just won a playoff game or something,” Greenlee said smiling. “It was a big win for them and we all got excited. They worked and worked and worked, and they saw it pay off.”
Unfortunately, the Panthers could not complete the sweep of Montrose on Saturday, as the Indians took game two, 14-5.
“Today errors ate us up early,” Greenlee said after the loss. “We gave them two runs in the first inning off of an error and we were just fighting to get back.”
Despite the loss Saturday, there was optimism from the Panthers’ dugout after splitting games with Montrose.
The Panthers end their regular season with home games against Grand Junction Central (8-8, 3-4 5A/4A Southwestern League) on Friday and Saturday.
