Photos by Erik Fraser – Preston Daniels in action for Del Norte on Wednesday.

Senior Tenoch Tapia was a difference maker on Wednesday, as the McKinleyville Panthers came away from Del Norte with a key Big 5 victory in baseball.

Tapia’s two-out, two-RBI single in the top of the fourth helped lift the visitors to a 6-2 win against arguably the most dangerous pitcher in the Big 5 as they continue to roll.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 6-1 in conference and they are now two wins clear of second-placed Eureka (4-2), which has a bye win conference this week.

“It was a clutch hit,” McKinleyville head coach Mike Dobrec said.

Fellow senior Evan Fraser got the win on the mound, his fourth in conference, while the always dangerous Preston Daniels took the loss for the home team despite another good performance.

“We just couldn’t get the hits when we needed them,” Del Norte head coach Jeff Cook said. “It was a pitchers’ duel for a while, but we’ve got to make plays for Presto and score runs for him.”

The home team out-hit the visitors 10-5, but six errors didn’t help their cause, nor did stranding “seven or eight” runners on base.

Anthony Cardenas led the Warriors at the plate and finished 2-for-2, while Aidan Rice continued to impress and was 2-for-4.

“It was a good game. We were in it the whole time,” Cook added. “McKinleyville can hit. They hit Presto well. No one has hit him like that.”

Tapia finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while teammate Riles Egbert was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Evan Fraser delivers a pitch in Del Norte on Wednesday.

Bryce Sargent

Hunter Carper, Jackson Kelly and Tyson Bragg each also had a hit in the win, as McKinleyville enjoyed another balanced team performance at the plate.

Kolbey Stolpe and Branson Dobrec each also had an RBI.

Fraser threw six innings and allowed one walk and struck out three.

“He did good. He pitched good enough to get the win,” Mike Dobrec said of his senior ace. “He struggled early with his command, but he found his groove. Evan’s going to compete every time he steps on the mound.

“It was a good game. Any time you have Preston and Fraser on the mound it’s going to be a relatively low scoring game.”

With the loss, the Warriors dropped to 1-3 in the Big 5.

The win was the seventh in eight games for the Mack boys.

The two schools will close out a three-game series with a doubleheader at McKinleyville on Saturday, with game one set for 11 a.m.