The O’Connor Panther baseball team avenged their only district loss of the season Monday night at Northside Stadium by beating the Taft Raiders 10-0 in 6 innings. O’Connor senior Mark McGraw pitched very efficiently once again, striking out 7, walking 2, and allowing just 2 hits in the complete game victory.

Catcher Jason Matyszczyk was responsible for the Panthers’ first run of the game in the second inning, when he doubled to left to lead off the inning, was wild pitched to 3rd, and later scored on a passed ball, giving O’Connor a 1-0 lead.

Shortstop Landon Thompson had drawn a base on balls following Matyszczyk’s hit, and left fielder Will Salazar had singled but was erased on a double play to end the inning. The 3rd and 4th innings proved tough for Taft starting pitcher Chris Johnson, as he walked six over those two innings. The Panthers made it hurt, scoring 4 runs in both innings by collecting RBI singles from McGraw and 3rd baseman T.J. Greene, a bases loaded walk from designated hitter Mason Brauchle, a sacrifice fly by Salazar, a beautiful RBI squeeze bunt for a base hit by Matyszczyk, and a big 2 RBI single to left field by Thompson.

O’Connor turned a sweet Miranda to Thompson to Mitchell 4-6-3 double play up the middle in the 5th inning to keep the Raiders scoreless. That brought the game to the bottom of the sixth. Greene led off with a walk and moved to 2nd on McGraw’s second hit of the night, a looping single to left. Matyszczyk then closed the deal quickly by hitting a hard ground ball down the line, just beyond the reach of the Taft 3rd sacker, driving Greene in from 2nd base for run number 10 for the Panthers. The run rule-shortened game moved O’Connor to 10-1 in district play, keeping them all alone in first place.

Junior speedster Wes Fleming appeared twice as a pinch runner in the game. Fist bumps to Matyszczyk for his nice squeeze bunt and multi-hit game, and to McGraw for another very efficient pitching performance.