Harlandale, Kennedy improve placings in 29-4A baseball finales
Holy Cross, Southwest return to action Monday
By Mike Considine
The same storm that took the fun out of the Fiesta Flambeau parade put a damper on Southwest’s plans, too – even before a drop of rain fell.
A few hours earlier, however, Holy Cross (23-14-2) was having a blast under overcast skies. The Knights drubbed Houston Northland Christian 13-1 Saturday afternoon at Holy Cross in a regional game.
In the prime-time games, Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway eliminated Harlandale 2-0 and Southwest (30-5) was leading Brandeis 10-3 when a lightning delay hit at about 9:05 p.m. Near the end of the UIL-mandated, post-strike, 20-minute waiting period, during which no lightning must be present in the area, it was mutually agreed that the teams would finish the game at 6 p.m. Monday at the same location, Mary Ann Villarreal Complex Field No. 1.
The game was just eight outs away from completion.
The first game of the series on Friday was an 8-4 comeback win for the Dragons (30-5). Saturday, Southwest romped to a 10-0 lead before the Broncos (20-8) got their offense going.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” Southwest coach Sandra Hernandez said. “We’ll play pretty well, but then we’ll have one bad inning. Our defense has been on. We just need to stay up on top of (our opportunities).”
No playoff spots were at stake on the final day of the District 29-5A play, but a couple of ties were broken.
Harlandale finished ahead of Uvalde in third place after senior Michael Agis pitched the Indians to a 2-0 victory. The teams were tied before the game in Uvalde.
Kennedy and Floresville were tied for fifth place before their game in Floresville Saturday. Kennedy owned fifth after defeating the Tigers 5-3.
Softball
Southwest
Before the delay, the Dragons carved out an impressive start, building on an 8-4 win in Game 1. Southwest scored the first 10 runs Saturday, putting themselves on the verge of a sweep in the best of three series.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” Southwest coach Sandra Hernandez said. “We’ll play pretty well, but then we’ll have one bad inning. Our defense has been on. We just need to stay up on top of (our opportunities).”
Junior pitcher Kamerie Vidales, who helped the Dragons overcome a 4-0 deficit to Brandeis (20-8) after the first inning in Game 1, smacked a three-run home run over the left-field fence in the first inning.
Amanda Sanchez was struck by a pitch leading off the game and Krystal Salinas received a base on balls ahead of Vidales’ seventh home run this season.
Southwest produced a seven-run outburst in the third inning.
Freshman Caitlin Terrazas and junior Kayla Arguello got it rolling with a single down the left-field line and a double over the center fielder’s head, respectively, as the first two batters to the plate. A walk to junior Elizabeth Phillips loaded the bases and Sanchez forced in a run with the second of her three bases on balls.
Ahead 5-0, power-hitting Miranda Medina also walked to force in a run. Vidales ran her RBI total on the evening to five with a two-run base hit.
Terrazas then delivered her second hit of the inning, driving in a run with a two-out single. The Dragons tallied their 10th run as a result of a Broncos throwing error.
Brandeis, whose three pitchers combined to issue 10 walks, got three runs back in the bottom of the third, two on one play. Vidales, who retired the first six batters in order, suddenly had control problems. She walked Cameron Barnes with the bases loaded to make it 10-1. A throwing error on an RBI ground out gave the Broncos their last two runs of the evening.
In Friday’s game, Southwest cut the Broncos’ lead in half in the second inning. A four-run rally in the fifth assured the Dragons’ win. Southwest added two insurance runs in the sixth.
Vidales held Brandeis scoreless over the last six innings Friday.
“She really stepped up,” Hernandez said. “That’s what experience does for her. She’s a junior that’s been starting for us since Day 1. She really has a lot of experience.”
Southwest cut the Broncos’ lead in half in the second inning on a two-run double from catcher Gabby Flores, following a double by Arguello.
A four-run rally in the fifth assured the Dragons’ win. Samantha Hernandez sparked the rally with a single and Medina followed with a double. Southwest added two insurance runs in the sixth when Gonzales walked and Hernandez and Sanchez came through with base hits.
If necessary, because of a Brandeis comeback victory, a third game of the series was to follow the completion of the suspended game Monday.
Holy Cross
The Knights erupted for 11 runs in the first two innings of the area-round game. Holy Cross.scored six runs in the first inning and added five in the second against Houston Northland Christian.
The Knights lost a tuneup game 4-1 to Harper Thursday at Holy Cross. But they won big when it counted.
Holy Cross will play Monday against Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian in a 4 p.m. game at Texas A&M in the regional round.
Harlandale
Tuloso-Midway pitcher Destiny Rodriguez permitted the Indians (14-11) just two hits in the bi-district game at the Northeast ISD Complex.
Harlandale senior Stephanie Lopez allowed just six hits in her final game. The Warriors (22-8) scored single runs in the first and third innings.
Baseball
Harlandale
Agis allowed just three hits in helping the Indians (13-12, 9-5) move ahead of Uvalde (12-11-1, 8-6) in the standings.
The senior right-hander allowed just three hits in pitching Harlandale to victory. Agis (9-1) walked just one and struck out 14, running his season total to 126.
Richard Acosta and Brandon Ramon each contributed two of the Indians’ six hits. Harlandale scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
Harlandale will play Victoria East (19-10-1) in a 7 p.m. game Friday in the bi-district round at Victoria’s Riverside Stadium.
Kennedy
The young Rockets (10-15, 5-9) finished won two games last week, defeating rival Memorial (2-23, 2-12) 11-1 Thursday at Edgewood Field and picked up a crucial 5-3 win at Floresville (9-18-1, 4-10) Saturday.
That victory broke a tie for fifth place in District 29-4A.
Kennedy took control in the fifth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie with four runs. Ahead 5-1, the Rockets withstood a two-run rally by Floresville in the sixth. Junior Isaiah Garcia was the winning pitcher, scattering nine hits.
Like this:
Like Loading...