OKLAHOMA CITY – Putnam City West senior Jaxon Hyde-Herrera capped off Senior Day with two home runs, propelling the Patriots to an 11-2 blowout win over sister school Putnam City North Friday (April 26).

The win extended West’ winning streak to eight games as the Patriots wrapped up the regular season, moving on to the regional playoffs.

North (8-24) struck first, playing small ball. Sophomore Mitchell Taylor walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Austin Guerrero. He moved to third on a bloop infield single by senior Cayden Swart. Junior Aaron Wall grounded out to West starter Nathan Vann, scoring Taylor.

The Patriots (14-15) answered in the bottom half of the first inning, scoring five runs. Vann drove in senior Sam Hernandez with a single. Sophomore Jayvn Mitchell singled and senior Kevin Saucedo reached on an error by Swart at shortstop. Both would score on a single by freshman Aaron De Loera. Freshman Alex Jiminez, who had reached on a throwing error by North junior Rocco Carattini, scored on a passed ball to make it 5-0.

The Panthers loaded the bases in the second inning and on three walks by Vann and another sacrifice bunt, this time by sophomore Owen Attebery, but Vann struck out Carattini and Guerrero to extinguish the threat.

Hyde-Herrera extended West’s lead in the bottom half of the second, sending a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer, scoring Hernandez who led off the inning with a single.

Vann walked. Saucedo had a bunt single and Alex Jiminez’s fielder’s choice scored Vann. Saucedo came over another North error to make it 9-0.

North got a run back in the top of the third when Wall doubled in Swart to make it 9-2.

Hyde-Herrera added to the lead in the third with a towering two-run home run over the left field wall, scoring senior Rico Hamilton who led off the inning with a walk.

Hyde-Herrera finished with a 2-for-3 performance, driving in four runs. The two home runs bumped his season total to five.

Mitchell also went 2-for-3 and Vann went 2-of-2. Hernandez added a 2-for-4 day.

On the mound, Vann allowed three hits in five innings in the shortened game. He walked five batters and struck out six.

For North, Swart went 2-for-2 and Wall went 1-for-3.

PUTNAM CITY DISTRICT CHAMPS

The win earned West the unofficial title of Putnam City district champs, after the Patriots swept both Putnam City and Putnam City North.

Putnam City West	4-0
Putnam City North	1-2
Putnam City	0-3

SENIOR SALUTE

West honored seniors John Rolling, Rico Hamilton, Aidan Shaw, Kevin Saucedo, CJ King, Sam Hernandez, Zay Washington, Jaxon Hyde-Herrera and Little Bear Bosin after the ballgame. Also honored were senior managers Alex Cochran, Sarah Graves and Josie Brandenberger.

UP NEXT: The Patriots meet Mustang (22-12) in the first round of Class 6A Regional 1 at Edmond Santa Fe Thursday (May 2) at 1:30 p.m.

The Panthers face Deer Creek (20-16) in the first round of Class 6A Regional 4 at Edmond Memorial Thursday (May 2) at 1:30 p.m.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	R	H	E
Putnam City North	1	0	1	0	0	2	4	4
Putnam City West	5	4	2	0	X	11	11	1

PUTNAM CITY NORTH	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
Taylor	1	1	0	0	2	0
Guerrero	2	0	0	0	0	2
Swart	2	1	2	0	1	0
Wall	3	0	1	2	0	0
Lang	3	0	0	0	0	1
Duffy-Relf	2	0	0	0	1	2
Garcia	1	0	0	0	1	0
Attebery	1	0	0	0	0	0
Carattini	2	0	0	0	0	1
TOTAL	17	2	3	2	5	6

PUTNAM CITY NORTH	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Renteria ( L )	1	6	7	3	1	2
Orton	1.2	4	4	3	3	1
Ferguson	1.1	1	0	0	1	1
TOTAL	4	11	11	6	5	4

PUTNAM CITY WEST	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
Hamilton	2	1	0	0	1	1
– Shaw	1	0	0	0	0	0
S Hernandez	4	2	2	0	0	0
Hyde-Herrera	3	2	2	4	0	0
Vann	2	2	2	1	1	1
Mitchell	3	1	2	0	0	0
Saucedo	2	2	1	1	1	0
Jiminez	3	1	0	1	0	1
De Loera	2	0	1	2	0	0
– King	0	0	0	0	1	0
Washington	1	0	0	0	1	1
– Rolling	1	0	1	0	0	0
TOTAL	24	11	11	9	5	4

PUTNAM CITY WEST	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Van ( W )	5	3	2	2	5	6
TOTAL	5	3	2	2	5	6