May 24, 1962 — The Page County Panthers of Coach Carroll Jay won the District 10, Group II high school baseball championship for 1962 by defeating the Clarke County Eagles last Saturday afternoon at Shenandoah, 5-4.
With a number of major league scouts included among the good crowd in attendance, the Panthers scored the first run of the game in the third inning. Jerry Leake reached first base on an error, moved to second as Joe Rinaca rolled out, pitched to first and scored as Wayne Comer was safe on an error.
Clarke County tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. The Eagles took the lead, 2-1, with a run in the fifth. The Panthers came up with four runs in the last of the fifth to send them on their way to the title.
In the home halt of that frame, Bob Moore and Jerry Leake hit back-to-back singles, Joe Rinaca fanned and Wayne Comer got an intentional walk to load the bases. Elwood Housden then laid down a bunt along the first base line to beat it out for a hit with Moore scoring. James Kite followed with another bunt single, scoring Leake, and Allen Greene came through with another infield hit which brought in Comer and Housden to give the Panthers a 5-2 lead.
Clarke County came within one run of tying it up by scoring two runs in the seventh.
Coach Jay’s Panthers, Southern Division winners, went the entire season without a loss and went on to capture the championship during their first season of baseball in District 10, Group II.
~ From the public archives of the Page News and Courier
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