PINE GROVE - The Panther Valley baseball team will be doing something it has never done before - play for a Schuylkill League championship.

The Panthers earned that opportunity with a 2-1 extra-inning victory over old nemesis Blue Mountain in the opening game of a semifinal doubleheader on Monday.

The win vaults the Panthers into the championship final to face Pine Grove - a winner over Tri-Valley in the nightcap. The title game will be played at 6 p.m. Thursday back at Stump Stadium.

Monday night’s contest was a white knuckler that wasn’t settled until Panther Valley’s Brody Breiner delivered the game’s biggest hit in extra innings.

The freshman smashed a game-winning single with one out in the eighth inning, sending senior Michael Pascoe scurrying across the plate for the run that would send his teammates into a celebration.

“I had confidence, my coaches and teammates gave me that,” said Breiner. “I was looking for my pitch and drove it.”

It was the second hit of the game for the designated hitter, who also was clutch in driving home the only other Panther Valley run. That came in the third inning when he plated Cody Orsulak, who had singled with two outs and moved up a base after Hayden Goida was plunked by a pitch.

“I really don’t consider him a freshman at this point of the season,” said Panther Valley manager Rich Evanko, who has been the guiding light for a Panther team that has won three straight Schuylkill League Division 3 championships. “He’s been playing since the beginning of the season. We have played 21 games now, so I don’t consider him a first-year player any longer. He’s been in all our games.”

The game-winning rally unfolded on the shoulders of the hottest hitting player in the league - Pascoe. He was facing relief pitcher Robert Gromley, who was in for starter Dylan Sattazahn. Pascoe lashed a single to center after getting the green light on an 3-0 count.

“I didn’t have very good at bats before that,” Pascoe said. “But I had confidence, and I went out and got the hit.”

Pascoe got to second base on a wild pitch, and then moved to third on Goida’s single to center which set the table for Breiner’s gamer.

Panther Valley (20-1) got an outstanding pitching performance from starter Stephen Hood - although Hood and the Panthers received a scare early. The team’s ace - who had been nursing a left shoulder injury for a few weeks - had the injury flare up again during a swing and miss when he was batting in the second inning.

Hood groaned with pain and slumped to his knees as the Panther fans collectively held their breath. Hood found a way to regroup, however, and remained in the game.

After looking un-hittable at times before the injury flared up again - he struck out five of the first six batters he faced - Hood said he relied on his offspeed pitches more over the rest of his outing.

“At first it felt bad, and right now it feels pretty weak,” Hood said afterward. “My curveball and slider helped win this game.”

He allowed just three hits and one run before reaching his pitch count limit in the seventh.

Brad Hood relieved brother Stephen with one out in the seventh. After walking the first batter he faced, he bounced back to get a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, Brad Hood retired the Eagles in order, picking up two more strikeouts.

“This is huge, it’s gives us a chance at the Schuylkill League championship,” Pascoe said about the victory.

HITTERS … Panther Valley had six hits, all singles. Chase Weaver and Breiner had two hits each, while Pascoe, Goida and Cody Orsulak all had one hit. Sattazahn had a pair of hits for the Eagles.

WEB GEMS … With Blue Mountain threatening to take the lead in the sixth, Panther Valley right fielder Tyler Black made a standout play on a liner to kill the rally. Black also tracked down a laser in the fourth inning with two runners in scoring position.

ARMS READY … Panther Valley will in all likelihood start Brad Hood on Thursday, with Pascoe and Black in the wings if need.

Blue Mountain 000 100 00 - 1 3 0

Panther Valley 001 000 01 - 2 6 1

Sattazahn, Gromley (6) and Gustitus; S. Hood, B. Hood (6) and Orsulak. W - B. Hood. L - Gromley.