CHILLICOTHE ― Pitching in Licking Valley baseball's first regional final, Evan Roberts admitted to a few nerves as he prepared to face Circleville.

However, the Panthers are such a tight-knit group that those were quickly erased, not only in the pregame but by another fast start as Division III play unfolded on June 6 at Chillicothe VA Stadium.

"We're not afraid to have fun, and before the game when we were stretching we talked about something different, not baseball," the senior right-hander said after he three-hit the Tigers in a 6-2 victory for Valley's first-ever state tournament berth. "I was pretty confident in our lineup and knew I didn't have to be perfect today."

Even though the Panthers left 12 on base, including the bases loaded twice, they had more than enough offense, and w

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