CORTEZ – It could end up being a season-changing three innings for Montezuma-Cortez baseball.
Facing a 10-run mercy-rule deficit and down to their final three outs in the fifth inning on their home field, the Panthers scored four times in the frame to extend the game.
Still trailing by six runs with two innings to play, the Panthers showed signs of life as the rally continued. Two more runs in the sixth, followed by an explosive six-run seventh inning, completed the comeback as M-CHS downed Montrose 17-15 to climb back to .500 on the season.
After back-to-back tournaments against top-tier competition, during which the M-CHS offense averaged just three runs per game over its previous five outings, the Panthers (4-4) finally electrified the bats and gained momentum heading into their trip to Carbondale and their Trent Goscha Memorial Tournament title defense.
Juniors Easton Pixler and Michael Krupa combined for seven RBIs, while sophomore Brennen Powell delivered a key RBI triple that provided a major jolt. M-CHS overcame several defensive miscues to capitalize on Montrose errors, with seniors Cory Carver and Jaris McDonald scoring seven combined runs.
M-CHS jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, but Montrose responded with 15 unanswered runs, leaving the Panthers in need of a spark. Senior Bodie Stiegelmeyer led the charge with three hits, helping fuel the rally as M-CHS pulled out an improbable win in its home opener.
The Panthers are off until April 2-4, when they resume play along the I-70 corridor, hoping the comeback provides momentum heading into the heart of their schedule.
