Softball roundup for May 10 edition

AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: East Central, Edison, Southside.

By Mike Considine

Second-year Cardinals coach Christa Carrasco said she doesn’t put as much emphasis on district titles as most coaches. With that in mind, she thinks her team was right on schedule in the bi-district round.

Southside (18-15-1), the fourth seed from District 28-5A, stunned District 27-5A champion MacArthur (20-15-1) for its first bi-district title since 1999. The Cardinals won 9-4 in eight innings April 26 and 8-6 April 28.

“I feel like we chose to peak at the right time,” Carrasco said. “We don’t talk about district championships. We talk about a playoff run.”

The Cardinals erupted for five runs in the eighth inning of Game 1 and scored seven in the first inning of Game 2 in an impressive show of strength.

Home runs from Kayleigh Tijerina and Juztyne Torres, the latter a three-run shot, highlighted Southside’s eighth in the opener. Senior pitcher Jessilyn Zocher limited heavy hitting MacArthur to three hits.

“We’re really impressed with how she’s taken to that leadership role,” Carrasco said. “Jess really wants to go out with a bang.”

In the second game, MacArthur scored first, but Southside answered with a double by Aleah Hernandez, an RBI single from Danyelle Calzada and a two-run single from Nilene Soriano (2-for-3, 3 RBIs). Torres made it 7-1 with an RBI single.

“Once their pitching staff decided to walk Kayleigh Tijerina,” Carrasco said, “our girls were really determined to step up.”

Southside was slated to play Smithson Valley (21-14) in the area round. The best-of-3 series was slated for May 4-6.

East Central wants to move past second round after comeback bi-district title

The Hornets only mustered four hits in their decisive Class 6A bi-district game against Clark (21-12) May 1, but they all went for extra bases in the 4-1 win at Northside Field No. 2.

The series victory advanced East Central to the area round for the third-consecutive season. The Hornets were scheduled to face Dripping Springs (31-7) May 4-6 in a best-of-three series.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” East Central coach Maggi Welham said. “They worked so hard, and they deserved it.

“It’s about time we got past the second round. It won’t be easy against Dripping Springs.”

Junior catcher Bella Valdez hit her longest home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth. The three-run blast broke a 1-1 tie.

“I got a low inside pitch, which is where I like it,” Valdez said of the homer that traveled about 235 feet. “I thought, at this moment, I’m going for it.”

The other three Hornets hits were doubles from Valdez, Isa Hernandez and Erin Villela. A sacrifice fly from Avi Martinez accounted for East Central’s first run in the third inning.

East Central won the last two games of the series after losing the opener 2-1 April 28. The Hornets blanked the Cougars 7-0 in the game that immediately followed, with freshman pitcher Jenise Ramirez allowing just four hits while her teammates made use of 12.

Ramirez, who notched her 100^th strikeout in Game 1, didn’t allow a run in 11 innings from that game until the fourth in Game 3.

“I always tell her don’t worry about anything – it’s just me and you,” Valdez said. “We’ve developed a good relationship outside of softball.”

In Game 2, East Central- took advantage of two Clark errors and an RBI double from Hernandez to grab a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Bella Vidal drove in the Hornets’ fourth run in the fourth inning. Villela (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) made it 5-0 with a clutch two-out double. Following a leadoff triple by Bri Barreto (3-for-3) in the sixth, Villela produced another two-out RBI hit. Kyana Lipardo (2-for-4, RBI) added the final run with an RBI single.

“We all came together,” Villela said. “We care so much for each other. We just regrouped and said, ‘No, we’re going to win.’ ”

Edison fends off late challenge from Medina Valley to return to area round

The Golden Bears scored five runs in the middle innings to defeat Medina Valley (17-14) 6-4 in a one-game bi-district playoff game April 27 at Villarreal Field No. 1. The win enabled Edison to reach the area round for second-consecutive season.

Winning pitcher Chipper Mayorga (1-for-2) loaded the bases in the fifth with a single, setting the stage for the biggest play of the game.

Jacee Garza (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) hit a two-out drive to center field. After an umpire conference to determine whether the Panthers had made the catch, it was ruled a two-RBI, bases-loaded single that gave Edison a 6-3 lead.

The Panthers scored their final run in the top of the sixth.

Celeste Villarreal finished 2-for-4 with double, and two RBIs. Anarosario Gallegos drove in a run for the Golden Bears.

Edison was scheduled to Liberty Hill (27-6) in a best-of-three area round series May 4-5 in San Marcos.