The Panguitch Bobcats baseball team capped off their perfect season on Saturday with an 11-1 victory over the Altamont Longhorns in the 1A state championship game at Dixie High in St. George.
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When Panguitch pitcher Kyson Miller struck out the final two Altamont batters in the top of the fifth inning, it ended the game due to the 10-run mercy rule, after which Bobcat players rushed into the infield and piled together in celebration near the pitcher’s mound.
This marks the third straight state baseball title for the Bobcats and the 12th in school history.
Panguitch’s remarkable season had begun more than two months earlier, on Aug. 5, with a 19-0 win over Green River. Over the course of the Bobcats’ 29 straight victories, they outscored their opponents 445-59.
The closest Panguitch came to losing was on Thursday, when Altamont had led by a run or two for much of the game before the Bobcats tied the score 4-4 in the sixth inning. Two innings later, Panguitch’s Tayze Barney drew a walk with the bases loaded, giving the Bobcats the 5-4 win.
Both teams then defeated Wayne on Friday to set up Saturday’s rematch.
Panguitch coach Rawley Burningham noted that last year, the Bobcats had rallied from the one-loss bracket and had come from behind to defeat rival Piute to win the state title.
“We talked about that pregame, as we know what it’s like being in their shoes and how hard it is, but how they still have a chance,” Burningham said of the Longhorns.
“I tip my cap to (head coach) Chaz (Fisher) and Altamont. They are a good, tough team.”
Miller, a sophomore, went the distance for Panguitch on the mound on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits over five innings while walking three and striking out six.
He also was the winning pitcher against Bryce Valley on Tuesday and pitched the first three innings against Altamont on Thursday.
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“We were just trying to make it to the next game,” Miller said afterward. “You can’t overlook anyone. You have to play your best every game.”
Miller, who also went 2 for 2 at the plate and drove in four runs on Saturday, expressed gratitude for his teammates.
“They’re all very supportive,” he said. “I love them and I’m grateful I can play with all of them.”
Burningham said this year’s team has been “really fun” to coach.
“It’s easy to coach them. It really is,” he said. “They’re a group of boys that doesn’t care who’s the star. They don’t care who’s on the mound. They don’t care who’s at bat.
“They just know that their teammates are going to come through, and when someone has an off day, they know someone’s going to pick them up.”
Burningham said even though the Bobcats enjoyed their share of lopsided wins over the course of the season, it was the team’s defense that proved to be the key to success.
“It was good for us the last two games to be tested,” he said. “I think that just made us better, and we showed today what kind of team we are.”
One key defensive play on Saturday came in the fourth inning, when Altamont’s Ryston Harrison belted a double to left center with a runner on, but Panguitch left fielder Reuben Torgersen fired a laser throw to third base to nail the lead runner and help keep the Longhorns from scoring.
“Our offense, when it helps, it’s awesome. When our offense isn’t there, we rely on defense, Burningham said. “Defense truly does win championships, and we’ve shown that now three years in a row.”