Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Tyson Bragg is greeted at home plate after his walk-off home run against Fortuna on Thursday.

By Ray Hamill — If the Panthers continue to hit the ball this well, the rest of the Big 5 could be in trouble.

On Thursday afternoon, in a make-up game form earlier in the spring, McKinleyville ran out to a comprehensive 14-2 conference win over Fortuna at Mack High.

The win lifts the Panthers to 5-1 in the Big 5 and leaves them in sole possession of the conference lead, one win ahead of second-placed Eureka (4-2) halfway through their conference schedule.

One day after watching his teammate Kolbey Stolpe hit a pair of home runs in a 10-0 win over South Fork, hard-hitting senior Tyson Bragg hit two home runs against Fortuna, as the Panthers quickly took control of the game with eight runs in the first inning.

Bragg’s first home run was a two-run blast that helped set the tone, and his second was a three-run blast that ended the game early on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the fifth.

“I think he was a little jealous of Kolbey yesterday,” McKinleyville head coach Mike Dobrec joked.

Bragg was far from the only hero on the day, as eight different McKinleyville players accounted for 12 team hits, just one day after eight different Panthers racked up nine hits against South Fork.

Bragg finished 2-for-3 with the two home runs and five RBIs, while Stolpe might be finding his form at an opportune time and had two hits for the second straight day, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Impressive freshman Hunter Carper also was 2-for-3 with a double as he continues his big debut season at the high school level, and the youngster has been one of the stories of the season in the Big 5 this spring.

“We just came out and swung the bat really well,” Dobrec said. “It was a team win and everyone on the team swung well, even the guys who didn’t get hits.”

Riles Egbert also was 2-for-3 with an RBI and impressed on both sides of the plate.

“Riles had a really good game behind the plate,” Dobrec said of the junior catcher, who continues to grow in stature on the defensive side of the ball. “He kept everything in front of him. He’s working hard back there for us.”

Evan Fraser got the win on the mound, his third in three conference starts.

The senior pitcher threw all five innings and gave up eight hits while striking out three.

And once again he benefitted from some strong defense, something this year’s McKinleyville team has done consistently.

Left fielder Blake Santos made a spectacular diving catch in the bottom of the fourth, before throwing to second base to complete an inning-ending double play.

Fraser also was 1-for-1 at the plate, while Jackson Kelly was 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Bryce Sargent (1-for-2) and Tenoch Tapia (1-for-3) rounded out a 12-hit team performance.

Despite the loss, the Huskies hit the ball pretty well, including Hunter Reback, who was 2-for-3.

The versatile junior has played a key role for his team this season and featured at third base, center field and at catcher in the loss.

He also has played shortstop and left field this season and has played every position well.

“He hasn’t complained,” head coach Max Betts said. “And he does it with a smile on his face. He does it the right way.”

Six different Fortuna players hit successfully in the loss.

Tyler Schlesiger was 1-for-2 with a double, while Emmitt Lumpkin was 1-for-1, Chandler Crenshaw and Caden Lewis were both 1-for-2 and Kallen Barrote was 1-for-3.

“We hit the ball well,” Betts said. “The bats are coming around. Fraser’s one of the best pitchers in league and we hit decently. I was happy with the bats.”

The normally reliable Drew Franklin took the loss on the mound after a rough start, with several pitchers also featuring in relief, including freshman Tanner Franklin and junior Mariquis Ludd, who made his first appearance of the season on the hill.

“Drew threw strikes,” Betts said. “McKinleyville is a very good hitting team. They hit the ball hard. I tip my cap to them. It was McKinleyville’s day today.

“They’re playing complete baseball and that’s what it takes in the H-DNL.”

The win was the third straight for the Panthers and their sixth in their last seven games, as they improved to 10-4 overall.

Fortuna dropped to 4-8-1 overall and 2-4 in the Big 5.

Next up, the Huskies will host Ferndale in a non-league game on Monday before beginning a three-game series against the Tigers at Arcata on Wednesday, while Panthers will open a three-game series against Del Norte in Crescent City, also on Wednesday.