Reagan County had lost seven straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Monday they dropped down to 3-7 to make it eight. They lost 17-2 to the Fort Stockton Panthers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 7-0 back in February.
Reagan County saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Carter Graves, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run. Gavin Reyes also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
As for Fort Stockton, the win got them back to even at 7-7-2. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won six games by seven runs or more so far this season.
On Fort Stockton's side, Ayden Hernandez made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single hit and allowing only one earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Hernandez also tossed a walk, which is notable because Fort Stockton is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 4-7-2 otherwise. Hernandez was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Fort Stockton let Gerry Diaz and Sebastian Nieto run wild. Diaz went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Nieto went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Diaz has become a key player for Fort Stockton: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ethan Nunez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Coming up, Reagan County will take on Eldorado at 4:00 p.m. on the 17th. As for Fort Stockton, they will square off against Presidio at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
