SHENANDOAH - All things considered, it was a solid opening day for Panther Valley’s baseball team.

PV starting pitcher Tyler Black turned in an impressive performance Tuesday, striking out 12 Shenandoah Valley batters and allowing just one run in his five innings of work.

Meanwhile, his teammates provided enough offense to secure a 5-2 victory over the Blue Devils at Marty F. DeLuca Baseball Field.

While the contest was the first of the season for the Panthers, they have already stamped themselves as Division 3 favorites in the Schuylkill League - a position they’ve owned the past few years.

For head coach Rich Evanko, just being able to get out and play was a plus.

“It’s getting comfortable with everything,” said Evanko. “We haven’t been able to get on our field to throw, we haven’t been on the mound.”

That fact didn’t bother Black, who had full command of his pitches and dominated the Shenandoah lineup for the most part. Jake Matta, the Devils’ No. 4 hitter, managed two of his team’s four hits while Brady Najda tagged the right-hander for a first-inning solo homer.

PV’s hurler struggled a bit in that opening frame, throwing 27 pitches, but quickly got into a rhythm and tossed four scoreless innings after that.

“After that first inning, I thought he settled down nicely,” Evanko said. “This (being) our first game, you’ve got to get through that, which we did nicely.”

Panther Valley quickly erased Shenandoah’s early lead by manufacturing a run in the top of the second. Hayden Goida walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Black. Two more free passes followed before Brady Jones also drew a walk to force in the tying run.

The Panthers (1-0) went ahead an inning later with a two-run rally. An error and a hit by Brody Breiner set the stage for Goida, who delivered a two-run double to give PV and Black a 3-1 advantage.

Evanko’s club continued to add on, posting single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings off Shenandoah reliever Nick Ryan - who took over for Brayden Maksimik.

In the fifth, Goida drew a two-out walk and raced all the way home when Black aided his cause by slamming a two-strike double to the base of the fence in left-center field. Panther Valley made it 5-1 in the sixth when Drew Kokinda singled home Danny Wehr, who had reached base on an error.

“They’re the best team in our division for the past several seasons,” said Shenandoah Valley skipper Jeff Maksimik, whose team dropped to 0-3. “They’re a very solid ball club, they know how to win. We need to make less strikeouts, and I think we will as the season moves forward.”

The Devils completed the game’s scoring in the home seventh with an unearned run. Tristian Karosas walked and eventually scored on a two-base throwing error.

LOOKING GOOD

… Black looked strong and confident on the mound, especially pitching in a game situation for the first time this season.

AT THE PLATE

… Wehr finished with two hits for PV, while Goida knocked in two runs. Black added an RBI double, while Breiner and Kokinda had the other hits. Matta is a tough out for Shenandoah. The four-year starter stung the ball all four times up and leads his team with six hits in three games.

FLASHING THE LEATHER

… PV had some standout play in the field. Black, who moved to right field after his pitching outing, made a terrific play on the run to snag an out while Jones robbed Matta of a potential run-scoring double. Shenandoah center fielder Johnny Burke threw out Logan Fisher at the plate after Chase Weaver blasted a ball to the outfield. First baseman Matta also made a standout play, taking a potential RBI hit away from Black.

Panther Vy. 012 011 0 - 5 5 0

Shenandoah 100 000 1 - 2 5 2

Black, Jones (6) and Goida; Maksimik, Ryan (3) and Najda. W - Black. L - Maksimik.