Perkiomen School's baseball team practiced outside Monday for the first time in more than a week. The players worked repetitively on base running drills and fielded ground balls and fly balls, according to Josh Cruz.

        "We worked on fundamentals," he said. "It was exciting. It felt like we were starting a new season."

        On Tuesday, the Panthers resumed their season with an 11-0, five inning victory over Renaissance Academy in the Tri-County Independent School League playoffs. Freshman David Smith struck out five in four innings of work. He also added two hits.

        Levi Stoudt finished with two hits and scored three runs. Christian Del Toro and Cruz each scored twice for Perkiomen School, which advanced to Thursday's league title game against visiting Barack Hebrew Academy.

        The Panthers (15-2), who missed three non-league games due to inclement weather since taking on Episcopal Academy in a doubleheader on April 30, came out swinging against Renaissance Academy.

        They scored three unearned runs in the first inning on two hits. Stoudt's RBI-single highlighted a two-run rally in the second inning. Naty Urbina and Devon Crossin delivered RBI-hits in the third, before Del Toro's two-run single and an RBI triple by Marlon Lindsey highlighted a four-run outburst in the fourth inning to help invoke the 10-run rule.

        Despite the long layoff, Perkiomen School head coach Ken Baker said he liked what he saw.               "The players understand that we expect them to prepare themselves to compete against whoever we play," Baker said. "They swung the bats well."

        The coach provided similar praise for the pitching performance of Smith. In his varsity mound debut, the pitcher permitted two hits and three walks. He worked around a leadoff double and a walk leading off the second inning. The pitcher stranded runners on second and third base with a strikeout to end the third.

        Mike Gama, a lefthander, retired the side in the fifth to clinch the victory.

Baker wanted to take a look at Smith, who plays second base when Stoudt and Del Toro pitch, on the mound.  "David showed me he has deceptive velocity and a good curve ball when he trusts it," the coach said.

        The playoff victory marks a pivotal week for the Panthers, who will play five games in a five-day stretch. They take on The Hill School on Wednesday before returning to Baker field the following day for the league title game. A non-league doubleheader Saturday at Malvern Prep, from the Inter-Ac Conference, caps the week.

        "This will be a big test for us," Cruz said. "We'll get a better idea of where we stand,"

        Crossin will start on the mound for Perkiomen School against the Blues, according to Baker. He said Lindsey would take the ball in the league playoff game Thursday.

        The Panthers start the week as healthy as they've been in several seasons, according to the coach. He said their regular catcher, Diego Millian, has missed the last two weeks with a thumb injury.