The Permian Panthers closed out their season Friday by shutting out playoff-bound Wolfforth Frenship 4-0 at McCanlies Field.

Caden Bedrick hit a three-run homer and McCray Gann pitched 5.2 shutout innings as the Panthers (18-16 overall, 7-8 District 2-6A) finished a win shy of the playoffs.

“For us to be eliminated from the playoffs but still compete hard enough to win and beat a caliber of team as Frenship has is big,” Permian coach Tate Criswell said. “The win provides us a winning season and back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the mid ’90s, I believe.

“For us to shut out that lineup, that’s a heck of a job.”

Frenship (19-11, 8-7) claimed the district’s third playoffs seed. The Tigers used five pitchers as they prepared for next week’s bi-district playoff series against an opponent to be determined.

“The guys we threw today are guys that are going to pitch in the next series and however long we get to play,” Frenship coach Chad Reynolds said. “Those guys needed to get out there and get in the fire. We didn’t want them sitting out that long. We need them to go out there and go compete.”

Still, Reynolds said, the Tigers weren’t laying down as they entered the game with a chance to claim the district’s No. 2 playoff seed.

“Absolutely, we were trying to win the game,” he said. “But at the same time, we needed to get some guys some work. We weren’t giving the game away by any means. We were trying to win.

“But credit Permian. They went out and beat us today.”

Gann threw more than 50 pitches to get through the first two innings, but held on to work into the sixth before hitting the pitch limit. He scattered five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

“We played good defense behind him,” Criswell said of Gann. “He didn’t have his A game and his shoulder was really bothering him from the get-go.

“Early, he just wasn’t working ahead and falling behind. I thought he’d be lucky to get to the third with this pitch count, throwing that many pitches per innings. But he’s a competitor. He’s a tough kid.

Manny Guerrero got the final four outs for the save.

“It was really just trusting my team, knowing that they have my back and everything,” said Guerrero, one of seven Permian seniors honored before the game. “I trusted my defense behind me to make the plays.”

Bedrick, who finished 3 for 4, connected off Frenship reliever Josh Bedrick in the third inning. Isaiah Flores led off with a single and Tanner Adams singled with one out to put runners at the corners.

“I just picked the ball up early out of his hand,” Bedrick said. “It was a fastball right there, first pitch, so I just turned it around.”

The Panthers added a run in the sixth off Colton Brown when Noey Brito led off with a single, stole second and scored on Guerrero’s dribbler down the third-base line.

Jacob Gutierrez went 3 for 4 to lead the Tigers, who missed repeated scoring chances against Gann. Gutierrez led off the game with a double and stole third, but was stranded there. In the second inning, Gann worked around two walks.

In each inning, Frenship had the leadoff man on second with no outs.

“We didn’t do enough offensively,” Reynolds said. “It was a really disappointing day for us offensively.”

The Tigers appeared to have a run in the fifth when Christian Kiser attempted to steal third and came home when the throw went into left field. Kiser was ruled out on appeal for not touching the bag at third after getting tangled up with Bedrick, the Permian third baseman.
