Perhaps flipping the calendar over to April was the jump start that the Panthers needed. After struggling for offense in a four-game skid to end March, the Montezuma-Cortez baseball team on Saturday exploded for 27 runs in a doubleheader blitz of Rangely, winning 11-7 and 16-1.

A day after Rangely swept Dove Creek in a doubleheader, the Panthers knew they would have to be ready from the opening pitch.

In the opener, Rangely threw the first punch, scoring twice in the top of the first. However, the Panthers (5-5) rebounded from the early deficit, scoring runs in each of the first three innings to build an 8-4 lead.

Rangely (3-4) responded with three runs of their own in the top of the fourth, but M-CHS answered with a single run in the bottom half and added insurance in the fifth inning.

From there, the Panthers pitching shut down the visitors, posting zeros in the final three innings to close out the win.

Junior Evan LaMunyon took the ball for the Panthers and posted an impressive line, striking out 14 Rangely Panthers over five innings of work. From there, classmate Jake Blackmer finished the deal, recording four strikeouts over two innings of no-hit ball.

The offense emerged from their recent struggles in a big way, with four Panthers posting multihit afternoons, led by Blackmer’s 3-for-5 day. Sophomore Miles Frost, junior Gabe Crowley and junior Lyle Carver each provided two hits, and Frost and Blackmer both drove in three runs apiece.

M-CHS collected four extra-base hits in the opener, only to be eclipsed by an even more prolific display of power in the second contest.

The Panthers left no doubt, pounding 14 hits in the mercy rule-shortened win, with six of those hits either doubles or triples. After Rangely scored in the top of the second to tie the game at 1-1, the Panthers amassed 11 runs over their next two turns at the plate, with another well-balanced effort for the orange-and-black.

Junior Braden Hallman and freshman Samson Lein collected multiple RBIs, while Frost and Blackmer continued the power surge, combining for five hits, six runs and seven RBIs.

All that offense did little to overshadow the performance on the mound from Lein, who posted a four-inning complete game, allowing just four hits while striking out three to take the win. Lein, just a freshman, joined classmates Bobby Likes and Colby McMillian in making immediate impacts both at the plate and in the field.

For head coach Tim Passell's Panthers, the emergence of the freshmen has provided a jolt, helping the M-CHS offense and pitching to find its groove again.

“It was a great day to get back on track,” said Passell in an email to The Journal after the wins, “We were able to put all phases of the game together.”

LaMunyon’s solid day at the plate and on the mound has become the standard for the Panthers. “The difference today,” said Passell, “is that we were able to give him the run support to get the win.”

Senior JT Carver, meanwhile, has been a steady contributor at the bottom of the order, along with a solid glove in the outfield. “He's made some outstanding plays for us, including a big play in game one,” added Passell.

The wins come at a big juncture for M-CHS, with just one more nonleague game standing between the Panthers and their commencement of Intermountain League play. Del Norte makes a visit to Parque de Vida on Tuesday, April 12, for a single contest, before the Panthers kick off league play with a big doubleheader against Bayfield on Saturday, April 23.