A Mid-State Conference split at Pequot Lakes Friday snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Park Rapids baseball team.
After dropping an 11-2 decision to Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Thursday and seeing Pequot Lakes rally for an 8-7 victory in the first game Friday, the Panthers returned to the win column with an 8-5 victory over Pequot Lakes in Friday's second game.
The Panthers, who were awarded wins in the first two games of the season when Staples-Motley used an ineligible player, fell to 6-12 on the season with a 13-9 loss to Fergus Falls Monday.
Park Rapids, which hosted Nevis Tuesday, concludes the regular season by hosting Bagley Thursday.
Top of order leads D-G-F
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D-G-F's Isaiah Green, Hunter Rosenfeldt and Dylan Dejong combined to go 10 for 14 with 10 RBI and six runs scored at the top of the order to lead the Rebels past Park Rapids.
The Panthers scored their two runs in the first inning on walks to Sam Coborn and Levi Erickson, an RBI double by Cory Odland and an RBI grounder by Dan Pike.
Christian Ridlon's double in the second and single in the fourth and Pike's single in the fifth were the only other hits for the Panthers.
Ridlon started and took the loss.
Panthers, Patriots split
Pequot Lakes scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener before the Panthers held off another late rally to salvage the split.
After Pequot Lakes scored five times in the first inning, the Panthers rallied to take a 7-5 lead. Doubles by Jordan Eischens and Odland led to three runs in the second; A double by Ryan Peterson produced a run in the fourth; singles by Pike, Peterson, Ridlon and Chris Goplerud led to two runs in the sixth; and Ridlon's double produced a run in the seventh.
But Pequot Lakes scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to rally for the win.
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Ridlon went 5 for 5 while Coborn, Pike and Peterson had two hits each to pace Park Rapids' 15-hit attack. Dustin Martine went the distance.
In the second game, three Pequot Lakes errors and singles by Coborn, Odland and Peterson gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead in the third.
The Panthers pushed their lead to 8-1 entering the bottom of the seventh. Coborn walked and scored in the fourth. A double by Chris Goplerud and singles by Kyle Goplerud and Coborn led to two runs in the fifth. Peterson singled and scored in the sixth. Coborn, Odland and Peterson all had two hits to pace the Panthers' 10-hit attack.
The Patriots scored four times in the seventh before Erickson left the bases loaded to finish off a complete-game victory.
Both teams ended conference play with 5-7 records.
Fergus Falls rallies for win
The Panthers held a 6-2 lead at Fergus Falls Monday before the Otters scored six times in the fifth and three times in the sixth to rally for the win.
Odland's double and Ridlon's two-run single gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the first before two errors and singles by Odland, Pike, Ridlon and Chris Goplerud led to four runs in the third.
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After Fergus Falls claimed a 10-6 lead, the Panthers scored three times in the sixth, capped by Odland's two-run single.
The Otters sealed the win by scoring the game's final three runs in the bottom of that inning.
Coborn went 2 for 4, Odland went 3 for 3 and Ridlon went 3 for 4 with three RBI to pace Park Rapids' 12-hit attack. Pike went the distance for the loss.
