THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

MIDLAND It was a fitting stage for a crosstown rivalry when the Odessa High and Permian baseball teams met, even if the setting was 15 miles away from home. The timing, however, could have been a little better for both teams. Less than two weeks into the 2019 season, the Bronchos and Panthers kicked off District 2-6A play as part of the Tournament of Champions Friday at Security Bank Ballpark. When the dust had settled, it was Permian emerging with a 7-6 comeback victory that gave the Panthers a nice start toward a return playoff berth. Tanner Adams, Aleck Villa and Taylor Sullivan each had two hits to pace the Permian offense, with Villa driving in two runs in the victory at the home of the Midland RockHounds. “I’ve been real pleased with our approach (at the plate) in each count,” Permian coach Tate Criswell said. “Not swinging at a strike, a pitcher’s strike, early and then battling with two strikes. “I think it helps us run guys pitch counts. Their guy (Christian Baeza) is one of the best pitchers in the area and we ran him to 50 pitches pretty fast.” Hervey Nieto was 2 for 3 with one RBI for the Bronchos, who watched the Panthers strike four runs in the final two innings to steal the victory. Permian having to mount a comeback in the late innings might have seemed farfetched after the Panthers scored three times in the top of the first inning, then watched starting pitcher McCray Gann handcuff Odessa High through four innings, allowing one hit and striking out six. In the fifth, however, McGann suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone and the first four Odessa High hitters reached base, with Baeza scoring the Bronchos’ first run of the game. Criswell went out to get Gann, replacing him with Teo Banks, but that didn’t stop Odessa High from keeping the rally going. Charles McClure worked a walk and then, with one out, Gibrian Pena reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in Jesse Cervantes. An error by the Panthers allowed Gabriel Avila to score and tie the game. A second Permian error plated Andre Garcia with the go-ahead run, but McClure was thrown out on a close play at the plate after trying to score from second base after Banks bobbled the ball into foul territory down the third base line. Nieto then lined a two-run double into the right-center field gap and suddenly the Bronchos had a 6-3 lead heading into the sixth inning. The Panthers roared right back, with Noey Brito getting hit by Bronchos’ reliever Bobby Salinas. Manny Guerrero singled on a slow roller toward third and then Brito scored on Caden Bedrick’s double, with Guerrero stopping at third. Adams singled home Guerrero, with Bedrick advancing to third. He scored on Villa’s sacrifice fly and the game was tied. Permian untied it in the seventh when Jared Carrasco lifted a fly ball down the right-field line that was dropped for a two-base error. Sullivan doubled on an 0-1 count to drive home Carrasco for the lead. Guerrero, the third Permian pitcher of the night, got the Bronchos in order in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a diving catch in left field by Carrasco on a line drive by McClure. “We made too many mistakes and we weren’t able to overcome them,” Odessa High coach Josh Hulin said. “Hats off to Permian because they hit the ball hard from the start and then were able to get past some of the mistakes to win the game.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

PERMIAN SCRATCHES OUT COMEBACK VICTORY AGAINST ODESSA HIGH

LEE SCHEIDE

Odessa American | 3/1/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Odessa Athletics