Panther Baseball Swept To End Regular Season

To end the 2025 regular season, the young Panther baseball team had their mind set on earning a chance to host a postseason regional at Lee Doyan Field. After rattling off 6 wins in a row, only the Clay Center Tigers remained in the path of that goal. A split with the Tigers meant that the Panthers would clinch the #4 overall seed in Class 4A West and host postseason baseball. Instead, on Tuesday, May 13th, Clay Center earned the sweep and earned themself the opportunity to host postseason baseball.

In game one, the Tigers won 11-5, and in game two, the Tigers won in a run rule 15-5 after 6 innings.

Game one the Panthers were shut down by Oklahoma State commit Cole Pladson on the mound. The Senior Tiger only allowed 6 baserunners through 4 innings and no runs to come in.

Meanwhile, the Clay Center offense found some life against Junior Chane Parker in the 4th. The Tigers sent 11 to the plate and scored 8 runs. Pladson had two home runs in the same inning. A solo homerun on two pitches to start the inning and a grand slam to deep right field on an 0-2 count with two outs in the inning.

The Panthers would quickly respond, though. The Panthers sent 7 batters to the plate in the top of the 5th and scored 3 runs. Boone Richard had an RBI double to get the Panthers on the board, driving in Rush LeDuc, who led off the inning with a walk. The next batter, Drake Blochlinger, sent the ball over the fence in left center field for the two-run bomb to give Concordia some life.

Clay Center would extend their lead by adding a run in the bottom half of the inning and then two more in the bottom of the 6th. The Tigers would end Pladson's day after an 11-3 lead.

Concordia tried to respond in the 7th against the new Tiger arm Ferguson, but just ran out of innings. Richard singled with two outs, and Blochlinger hit his 2nd homerun of the day with another deep blast to left center. Blochliner led the team, going 2-4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. Clay Center would get the final out and win number one.

The dream of hosting postseason baseball wasn't over the Panthers knowing all they had to do was not get swept. However the Tigers once again made things seem bleak quickly.

The Tigers brought 10 batters to the plate and scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 2nd against Sophomore starter Boone Richard for the Panthers. The Tigers drew 5 walks in a row to bring in their first run, and then singles from Berggren and Cutshall stretched the lead further.

Concordia had the fight and response that was necessary to not get swept. The Panthers sent 8 batters to the plate in the top of the 4th and scored 3 runs to keep the game within reach. The big swing of the inning belonged to Sophomore Kale Schroeder, who had an RBI double into the right field corner.

Just when the Panthers had the momentum, the Tigers took it right back. Clay Center sent 8 batters to the plate in their half of the 4th just like CHS and scored 4 runs. Cutshall had an RBI double. 

Schroeder would add another RBI with a single into right field, scoring Parker Jackson after the Sophomore led off the 5th inning with a walk. The Panthers were back within striking distance going into the bottom of the 6th after once again Concordia's Drake Blochlinger had an RBI single with two outs to bring in Koehn Williams after he led off the inning with a walk. 9-5 going to the bottom of the 6th.

The Tigers then walked off the Panthers with a run rule and ended the Panthers' hopes of hosting postseason baseball at Lee Doyan Field. Clay Center sent 10 batters to the plate and scored 6 runs to get a 10-run lead and win. The Tigers officially ended it when Cutshall struck out, but a dropped third strike from Concordia forced a throw down to first and, with a throwing error, brought in the game-winning two runs. A walk-off strikeout.

With the loss, the Panthers end the regular season with a 15-7 overall record and drop to the #7 overall seed in Class 4A West. Concordia will now travel to the Green Sports Complex in Pratt for the #2 overall Greenbacks regional. Concorida will face off against NCKL foe #10 Abilene with first pitch at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KNCK Radio 1390 and 98.3 and streamed on NCKToday.com. KNCK's audio will also be used on the Eastes Media video livestream for the game against the Cowboys.