Senior Night at the ballpark turned into a celebration in every sense for the Pana Panthers, as the Panthers exploded offensively and rolled to an 11-1 victory over Sullivan in five innings.
With family, friends, and teammates recognizing Pana’s senior class before first pitch, the Panthers rewarded the home crowd with one of their most complete performances of the season. Pana collected 13 hits, drove in eight runs, and controlled the game from the opening inning behind aggressive baserunning and timely hitting.
The Panthers struck first in the bottom of the opening frame. Cash Lynch singled and Madyx Angel later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Easton Malisia, giving Pana a 1-0 lead. Carder Burris followed with an RBI double before Jax Czaikowski blasted a triple to right field, extending the advantage to 3-0 after one inning.
Pana’s offense erupted again in the second inning and effectively put the game out of reach. Brylan Miller opened the frame with a single before Madyx Angel delivered an RBI single to left field. Cash Lynch followed with another RBI hit, and after an error allowed more runners to advance, Czaikowski ripped a line-drive triple to center field to plate another run. Carder Burris added an RBI groundout as the Panthers piled up seven runs in the inning to stretch the lead to 8-0.
The Panthers continued to apply pressure in the third inning. Cash Lynch delivered a two-run single to right field that scored both Madyx Angel and Lincoln Burris, pushing the lead to 11-0.
Sullivan managed its lone run in the fifth inning after reaching on an error and later capitalizing on a double-play ball that allowed a run to score, but Pana quickly closed the door to secure the run-rule victory.
Several Panthers turned in standout performances on Senior Night. Madyx Angel led the way by going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Cash Lynch finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Jax Czaikowski had a huge night with two hits, including a pair of triples, and two RBIs. Carder Burris also contributed two RBIs, and Brylan Miller added two hits and a run scored.
On the mound, Pana used a combined effort to keep Sullivan quiet throughout the night. Parker Moore started and tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Dane Epley followed with 1.1 shutout innings and a strikeout, while Madyx Angel and Cash Lynch helped finish off the victory. The Panthers’ pitching staff allowed just three hits while striking out three.
Defensively, Pana stayed sharp throughout the evening and backed up its pitchers with several key plays in the field, helping preserve momentum from start to finish.
The win made Senior Night even more memorable for the Panthers, who combined explosive offense, strong pitching, and energetic defense in front of their home crowd.
Senior Panthers Post Game Interview
Catcher #1 Jax Czaikowski making the Catch at Home for a Pop Up Foul Ball
#28 Cash Lynch finding the Gap with a 2 RBI Single
#1 Jax Czakowski with a Hard Hit RBI Triple
#4 Carder Burris with a Ground Rule Double off his Monster Hit!
#1 Jax Czakowski with Another Hard Hit Triple
#23 Easton Malasia finds himself at 2nd with 2 RBI’s off his Hit