Panther Valley is back in the Schuylkill League baseball playoffs after turning back Shenandoah Valley, 5-1, on Thursday.

The win came in the continuation of a contest that was started Wednesday before rain hit the diamond in the first inning with Shenandoah leading 1-0.

The victory secured the Panthers’ third straight Division 3 championship.

The ongoing battle between the Panthers and the Blue Devils has been going on for the last three seasons.

In the last two of those three seasons, it’s been a battle of pitching brothers – Panther Valley’s Hoods and Shenandoah Valley’s Maksimiks.

The first time around this season, it was the Panthers’ Stephen Hood - the exceptionally talented right hander - against the Devils’ Kaleb Maksimik - the superb Millersville-bound senior southpaw.

In that one, a seventh-inning unearned run was the difference as Panther Valley pulled out a 1-0 victory.

This time, it was Panther Valley’s Brad Hood - a senior headed to Mansfield - who was nothing short of stellar in twirling a three-hit complete game as he outdueled Shenandoah’s Braden Maksimik - a junior who wasn’t shabby either as he allowed just one earned run on seven hits.

The difference was that the Blue Devils’ defense committed six errors, which Panther Valley took full advantage of.

That provided more then enough cushion for the older Hood brother on the mound.

“I thought my fastball was really good today,” Brad Hood said. “I was able to hit the corners, and that allowed me to set up my breaking pitch. It was warmer today (than when the game started on Wednesday) and that helped a lot.”

It also helped that Brad Hood was in total command on the bump. He tossed 102 pitches – including an impressive 73 strikes compared to a paltry 29 balls - and struck out 11 in going the distance.

“He was fantastic,” Jeff Maksimik the Shenandoah Valley manager said about Hood. “He’s a tremendous pitcher, he’s been doing it for four years now. He was really hitting the corners.

“Both pitchers had great games. We just didn’t give Braden enough support … we gave them too many outs.”

After Shenandoah scored in is first at-bat on Wednesday when Kaleb Maksimik doubled and Brady Najda singled him home, Hood didn’t allow a run once play resumed on Thursday.

The Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the inning as three Devil errors led to Cody Orsulak scoring the equalizer.

PV scored its only earned run in the second inning when Drew Kokinda singled, stole second, and scored on Trey “T-Mac” McAndrew’s single to right.

Panther Valley increased its lead to 4-1 in the third when Mike Pascoe and Orsulak both reached on errors and eventually came around to score. The final Panther run came in the fourth when designated-hitter Brody Breiner hustled his way on with an infield single, and the hot-hitting Pascoe laced a two-out double to send him to third. Breiner then scored when Orsulak’s grounder was misplayed.

“You know, I thought both pitchers threw very well,” said Panther Valley manager Rich Evanko. “(Maksimik) had an exceptional effort for them, and you couldn’t have asked for a better one than Brad (Hood) gave us. He was at the top of his game.

“He was really sharp, and had total command of his pitches.”

SIDELINED … PV ace pitcher Stephen Hood injured his left shoulder swinging a bat recently. He didn’t play Thursday, but should be fully recovered by next week.

LEFTY AT SHORT …. SV’s Kaleb Maksimik is a lefty and played shortstop, the position his brother Braydon normally plays.

SHOWDOWN ... The unbeaten Panthers (15-0) will play once-beaten Division 2 power Tri-Valley next Thursday in Hegins.

QUOTEABLE … “We’re not done yet. We want to win the league. We’ve been here for three straight years now. This time we want to win the league championship,” said Brad Hood on his team’s next step.

Shenandoah 100 000 0 - 1 6 5

Panther Valley 112 100 x - 5 3 3

B. Maksimik, McCole (6) and Najda; B. Hood and Orsulak. W - B. Hood. L - B. Maksimik.