Two blue bloods locked up in an old fashion pitcher’s duel on Wednesday.

Panther Valley wasn’t giving sway and the same could be said for Tamaqua.

It was pretty to watch, and the way the game is meant to be played - a definite diamond in the ruff.

In the end, the Panthers cashed in for a sterling 2-1 non-league victory behind right-handed pitcher Danny Wehr. The PV sophomore mixed a whipping fastball and a nifty curve to keep the Blue Raiders off balance. He went the full seven innings, allowing just one run.

The key for Wehr? Keep the ball down.

“As long as I kept it low in the zone, I was going to be alright,” the sleek and lanky Wehr said. “I had good movement on my fastball, and I can’t say enough about my catcher Hayden (Goida).”

Wehr kept breezing through a dangerous Tamaqua batting order. The Blue Raiders managed to get seven hits in the game, but could only tag Wehr for a single run in the top of the third. The biggest hitter in the Raiders’ lineup was Mason Ligenza, who had three hits and scored his team’s only run when Luke Kane singled him home.

Other than that, Wehr - who struck out six and walked just one (an intentional pass to Ligenza in the top of the seventh) - was hardly in troubled waters.

“The way Danny threw today was outstanding,” Panther Valley anager Rich Evanko said. “He was feasting off that fastball, because he kept it down in the zone. When you keep the pitches down in the zone, it’s tough to hit and you give yourself a chance to win games.”

With pitching dominating, both sides were in the manufacturing mode to score runs.

Panther Valley struck first when Brody Breiner and Tyler Black both singled with no one out. Wehr then coaxed a walk off of Tamaqua pitcher Mike Yenser to load the sacks. Brennan Kunkel followed with a picture-perfect squeeze bunt single for the game’s first run.

“Kunkel did a heck of a job for us,” Evanko said about his nine-hole hitter who accounted for three of his teams’ eight hits.

Tamaqua forged a tie in the third when Ligenza singled to center and promptly stole second. Walt Steigerwalt lined a shot near the second base bag, but shortstop Drew Kokinda came up with a terrific play that appeared like it would keep Tamaqua off the scoreboard. But with two outs, Kane’s dribbler in front of the plate went for an RBI single as Ligenza raced home.

“That was a terrifically played game with two fantastic pitching performances,” Tamaqua manager Jeff Reading said. “My guy and Wehr were going at it, but they just got the big hit late to win the game. It was a great baseball game.”

The big hit that Reading talked about came in the home fifth when Panther Valley’s Goida unloaded a double to left centerfield to score Kokinda.

“That was such a clutch hit by Hayden,” Evanko said. “Today we got some big hits from the lower part of the order. That says a lot about our offensive capability.”

NON-LEAGUE … The game didn’t have a bearing on the Schuylkill League standings that currently have both teams qualifying for postseason berths, but with huge games coming up if they want to maintain those slots.

RECORDS ... Both teams are 11-5, and both have already qualified for the District 11 tournament - Tamaqua in the 4A and Panther Valley in 3A.

HITS AND HITTERS … In addition to Ligenza’s three hits, Landon Kamant had two hits while Kane and Steigerwalt added one apiece for Tamaqua. Kunkel had the big game for PV with three hits and an RBI. Wehr had a couple of hits, while Black, Breiner and Goida all had one.

Tamaqua 001 000 0 – 1 7 0

Panther Vy 010 010 x – 2 8 0

Yenser, Vecolitis (5) and Kane; Wehr and Goida. W – Wehr L – Yenser.