FARMINGTON – The 505 Panthers will represent San Juan County as the host team in this month’s Connie Mack World Series after eliminating the Frackers two games to one in the final round of a local qualifying tournament over the weekend at Ricketts Park.

The Panthers defeated the Frackers in the third and decisive game in the final round of the tournament on Saturday night to earn their spot in the Connie Mack World Series, culminating with a dramatic 7-6 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader played in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Coached by John Kuhn, the 505 Panthers will play the role of host team in the CMWS for the second year in a row. Last year, the team opened the tournament with a 7-5 win over the Albuquerque Baseball Academy in an eight-inning clash at Ricketts Park before eventually being eliminated by the Florida Panthers with two wins and four losses overall.

“I would go to war with these kids,” Kuhn said after the win. “They never give up.”

In the first game of the tournament between the two teams, played on Thursday night, Panthers pitcher Taylon Laxson threw a gem on the mound, overcoming a little trouble in the early innings before striking out nine batters and allowing only three hits in a 3-2 win on Thursday night.

The Panthers got timely production at the plate in game one of the championship series off the bats of Jacob Kuhn and Keenan Bejar, who each drove in a run. The Frackers had a golden opportunity to seize control of the game with bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the second inning before Laxson struck out Kale Watson to end the threat.

“(Laxson) tried to make a couple of intense plays in that inning and I’m sure it got his heart rate up a little bit,” Kuhn said. “Once he settled down, he was awesome again.”

Before the Panthers and Frackers squared off again on Saturday, the Panthers eliminated the only other lone remaining team in the local qualifying tournament, beating the NWNM Elite by a score of 10-2 on Friday night at Ricketts Park.

Kaden Peace threw four solid innings for the Panthers, allowing only four hits and striking out seven batters to earn the win. Ryan Ray, Kendrick Aragon and Kuhn each scored a pair of runs to pace the offense.

On Saturday, the Frackers forced a third and decisive game for the local tournament championship, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on the way to an 11-5 win over the Panthers.

Alex Gilliam did most of the damage, driving in a pair of runs with a double in the fifth inning that gave the Frackers a comfortable lead on the way to evening the best-of-three series.

Ovier Alvidrez came into the game on the mound for the Frackers in the fourth inning and stifled the Panthers offense for four innings, limiting them to two runs on four hits while striking out seven batters. Alvidrez replaced Joseph Marek on the mound after three innings of work.

In the decisive game, the Frackers had a 2-1 lead heading to the top half of the fifth inning, but added three more runs, thanks to timely hitting from Marcus Edmonson and Alex Gilliam who each drove in a run with base hits.

The Panthers came back in the bottom of the fifth inning, down 5-1 before they scored four times to knot the contest. Keenan Bejar, Ryan Ray, Kaden Peace and Long each drove in a run to tie the game heading to the sixth inning.

“(Long) and (Ray) both came through when we needed them,” Kuhn said.

The Frackers came back to retake the lead in the top of the sixth inning before the Panthers re-rallied to take the lead for the first time of the game, thanks to a 2-run double by Ryan Ray which plated Bejar and Dax Vigil.

“I was just trying to take it all in on that hit,” Ray said after the game. “I had the heart rate up a little bit but I was fortunate to get my pitch.”

The Panthers should have been credited with another run in the bottom of the sixth, but a baserunning error cost the Panthers a chance to have a two-run lead heading to the final frame.

“We didn’t play very well tonight,” Kuhn said.

Jacob Kuhn, who pitched a solid five innings to start the game for the Panthers, was relieved by Ray in the sixth inning to help preserve the win.

“(Ray) knocked in the winning run and got the win on the mound. I’m very proud of him,” Kuhn said.

In five games during the city league season and the local qualifying tournament between the Panthers and Frackers, the Panthers won the series three games to two with the combined margin of victory in those five games coming down to a 28-27 edge for the Panthers.

With the Panthers becoming the latest team to stamp its ticket to the Connie Mack World Series, only one team remains to fill out the roster of teams which will compete for one of the nation’s most sought after prizes in amateur baseball.

The final team will earn its way to the World Series at the conclusion of a regional tournament which will wrap up this week in Enid, Oklahoma.

The host team is one of five teams which receive an automatic bid to play in the Connie Mack World Series. In addition to the defending champion Midland Redskins, other automatic bids go to Dallas-based D-Bat United, as well as the Southern California Renegades and the Dulin Dodgers, winners of last year’s Don Mattingly World Series.

For more information on the Connie Mack World Series, check out the official website at CMWS.org.