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Superior Sun
The third-ranked Panthers’ baseball team moved into sole possession of first place in Section VI after wins against Hayden and Ft. Thomas last week. The Panthers defeated Hayden on Apr. 1, 13 – 3 before an 11 – 1 victory against visiting Ft. Thomas on Apr. 2.
Starting pitcher Rickey Longoria picked up his sixth win of the season on Apr. 1, limiting Hayden to two runs on five hits in five innings of work. He struck out and walked three.
Longoria, a senior, also helped himself at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Matthew Zavala also had three hits, including a double, and an RBI. Eric Oatis, Elias Olmos, Austin Navarrette, and Jesse Lopez each had two hits in the game.
The Panthers visited 14th-ranked Ray on Apr. 7 with first place on the line. The Bearcats entered the game with a record of 5 – 1 in Section VI, one game behind the 6 – 0 Panthers. Information on that game was unavailable at press time.
Upcoming schedule: Apr. 9 vs. Miami at 4 p.m.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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