CROWLEY -- Wins are of the utmost importance any time of the year, but especially when the season is so close to closing out.
So, when the Pine Prairie Panthers took to the diamond on Monday to take on the home standing Crowley Gents, the Panthers were looking for another win to tack on to their resume and hopefully pick up some valuable power points before the playoffs begin next week.
Pine Prairie answered that challenge with a resounding 17-1 win over Crowley to pick up their seventeenth win versus eleven losses on the season. The Panthers also earned win No. 7 in District 5-3A and hope to make it No. 8 tomorrow as they host Crowley in the last game of the year.
Pine Prairie was able to splatter their runs over several innings in the win Monday, scoring two runs in the first, three runs in the second, two runs in the third, eight runs in the fourth and their final two runs in the fifth.
The Panthers took the early lead in the top of the first inning when JJ Sims and Joel Franks each reached home plate behind base hits from Sims, Cole Thomas and Nick Ortego.
Crowley did cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first, plating their only run of the game.
Pine Prairie took control for good in the top of the second. Peyton Ledoux, Kyler Carson, and Sims would all score in the inning, with Ledoux, Sims and Franks each collecting singles.
In the top of the third, the Panthers continued the offensive showcase. BJ Ardoin walked and scored. Gage Strother was hit by a pitch and later scored in the at bat.
The biggest production at the plate for Pine Prairie came in the top of the fourth. Franks, Thomas, Ortego and Ardoin all drew walks to start off the at bat. After two strike outs, Carson singled to left field, scoring Thomas and Ortego.
Both Ardoin and Carson moved up a bag on a passed ball. After a walk was issued to Sims, both Ardoin and Carson would cross home plate on a single off of the bat of Jordan Ardoin.
An error with Franks at the plate, put Jordan Ardoin at second base. Ardoin and Franks would steal the next bags up, giving the Panthers runners at second and third.
Three walks in a row issued to the next three batters allowed Ardoin and Franks to score and close out the inning for Pine Prairie.
The final runs of the game started in the top of the fifth when Carson singled with one out. Sims tripled home Carson and scored on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Jordan Ardoin.
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TRACEY JAGNEAUX