In a wild Thursday conference showdown, the Riverdale Cowboys edged out the Parlier Panthers 18-17 in what proved to be one of the most chaotic and exciting high school baseball games of the season. The Panthers came out swinging early, putting up 2 runs in the first, 4 in the second, and 2 more in the third, while Riverdale struggled to find their footing in the early innings. However, the Cowboys slowly chipped away, exploding for 8 runs in the sixth inning to flip the game on its head. When the dust settled, Parlier had tallied 15 hits and committed 7 errors, while Riverdale finished with 17 hits and 4 errors — a messy but memorable ballgame from start to finish.
On the mound for Parlier, Francisco Alonso, Angel Cisneros, and Andrew Gonzales all saw time pitching throughout the game, doing their best to contain a Riverdale offense that ultimately proved too hot to handle. The Panthers’ pitching staff worked through a combined 7 innings against a Cowboys lineup that refused to go quietly. Adding to the mayhem on the field, a dog made its way onto the diamond not once but multiple times throughout the game, bringing the action to a halt and getting a few laughs from the crowd before play could resume. It was that kind of game — unpredictable, loud, and impossible to look away from.
After the final out was recorded and the Panthers walked off the field with a tough 18-17 loss, the only logical way to close out the night was with a well-earned In-N-Out run. Win or lose, the boys had left everything on the field — and after a game like that, a Double-Double was more than deserved. The Panthers will look to bounce back in their next conference matchup, but no matter what happens the rest of the season, this game will be one nobody who was there is likely to forget anytime soon.
