The Fort Stockton baseball team, who ended the season in fourth place in District 2-4A, had their season come to an end on May 7 in the bi-district round of the playoffs against District 1-4A champions Riverside.

The Panthers fell in the first contest between the teams on May 6 by the score of 7-3 despite outhitting the Rangers 8-6. In their second game of the series on May 7, five Fort Stockton pitchers combined to give up 14 hits and nine walks in a 17-7 mercy rule loss in five innings.

Sophomore Corbin Luna led the Panthers at the plate in the series with three hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Daren Ureste, Ethan Acosta, Isaiah Velasquez, and Xzavaier Dominguez each had two hits apiece.

Fort Stockton deployed seven pitchers in the series with Cruz Rojas getting the start on Friday and Velasquez getting the start on Saturday.

Fort Stockton ended the season with a 15-12 record.

Game 1 – Riverside 7 Fort Stockton 3

Friday’s opening playoff game for the Panthers and Rangers was nail-biter to the very end. Fort Stockton gained a 3-2 lead via a two-run third inning and Riverside responded by tying the game in the fourth frame.

The Rangers broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with four runs in the top of the frame. The Panthers had two groundouts and a fly out to end the game.

Fort Stockton stranded eight baserunners in the contest.

Ureste, Dominguez, and Acosta tallied two hits apiece.

Game 2 – Riverside 17 Fort Stockton 7

Riverside scored three runs in the first inning, eight in the second frame, and three in the third to take a 14-1 lead by the end of the third.

Fort Stockton scored four runs in the fourth inning via two walks, two Riverside errors, and one hit each by Marco Garcia and Luna.

Fort Stockton was outhit 14-6 but gave up no errors in the loss.