The Potomac Falls Panthers continued their hot streak and captured their first Region II championship with a 5 -1 win over Orange County. Mike Detaranto and Eric Dimsey combined on a four-hitter and the Panthers scored four runs in the seventh inning off Orange’s ace D. J. Brown to add the title to their District titles.

The Panthers opened the scoring in the firsst inning when lead off hitter Ben Sweger was hit in the back with a pitch. Sweger advanced to second when Mike Spring struck out but the ball was in the dirt and Spring was safe at first. With two runners on, Ryan Miller then laced a 1-2 pitch to right field for an RBI single that scored Sweger.

Mike Detaranto started the game for the Panthers and was cruising until the third when Nick Bledsoe hit a double to right field. After a strikeout, Corey Schmidt then hit a long double to left to tie the score at one. Eric Dimsey then relieved Detaranto and struckout Trey Maupin and induced Colston Bayless to groundout to short to end the threat.

Brown and Dimsey cruised through the next three innings with the score tied at 1-1. In the seventh, the Panthers finally got to the JMU bound Brown who was throwing in the high 80’s on the night. After an initial strikeout, Sweger ripped an 0-2 pitch to center field for a single. Mahoney then followed with an 0-2 single to right. Brown then buckled down and struckout Malan on a called third strike. With two on and two out, Mike Spring then hit an RBI single to left to score Sweger and give the Panthers the lead. Miller then followed with a sharp ground ball to short that Bledsoe could not field cleanly and ended up throwing into right field for an error that scored Mahoney. With Spring at third and Miller on first, Matt Rubino then chased Brown with a drive to left center that one hopped off the wall for a double scoring Spring and Miller and giving the Panthers a 5-1 lead. Bledsoe relieved Brown and retired Matt Hoover on a flyout.

In the bottom of the 7th, Dimsey got Brown to line out to Sweger before striking out Lazaro Torres. Chris Bittner then got the Hornets 4th hit of the night on a single to right. Dimsey then induced Bledsoe to groundout to Rubino and the Panthers were celebrating once again.

With the win, the Panthers (21-3) will now host Grafton on Tuesday night at Panther Park in the quarterfinals of the Virginia AA state tournament.