MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles came out swinging and the Harlingen Cardinals never found their footing.
After putting up nine runs in the first two innings, the Golden Eagles went on to run-rule the Harlingen Cardinals 11-1 in five innings Tuesday night and improve to 2-0 in District 32-6A play.
After going up 3-1 in the second inning with no outs and chasing starting Harlingen pitcher Jaedon Wynn off the mound, the Eagles put up six more runs in the inning.
The Eagles racked up seven of their 10 hits in the first two innings.
“We just hit the ball; we hadn’t been scoring runs as of late. These guys know what their strengths and their weaknesses are, but they were more focused on their at-bats and it showed,” Hanna head coach Eddie Garcia said. “Everything else worked itself out. On defense we had to play behind our pitching and it worked out well.”
Hanna pitcher Noe Guerrero picked up the win after pitching 5.0 innings while allowing one run and four hits.
The Hanna defense had just one error on the night.
Harlingen had some opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the Eagles lead, but left a combined five batters stranded.
In the fourth, Harlingen loaded the bases after relief pitcher Justin Reta was walked with two outs, but Hanna’s Guerrero struck out Cardinals lead-off man Kenneth Reininger moments later to end the inning.
The Cardinals left eight runners on base on the night, but Hanna never felt at ease with the Cardinals in scoring position.
“You can’t relax. Even if it was five innings, it felt like forever,” Garcia said. “You have to respect the game especially against a team like Harlingen.”
Leading 2-1 heading into the second, Hanna’s Lucas Olivares brought in Jaime Gonzalez to add to the lead.
A Harlingen error and a walk later, Harlingen’s Wynn was pulled in favor of Reta.
Reta managed to get a batter out, but back-to-back RBI doubles by Cesar Saldana and Efrain Martinez made the score 7-1.
Martinez and Cristian Gonzalez crossed the plate for two more runs on a Cardinals error at second base. The Cards ended the inning on a 4-3 double play, but the damage was done.
Saldana iced the game in the top of the fifth with another RBI double.
Saldana had four RBIs on the night and went 2 for 4 at the plate.
Reta allowed six earned runs in 4.0 innings of relief and recorded a pair of Ks.
Wynn took the loss for Harlingen, pitching 1.0 innings and allowing three earned runs.