DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Edinburg North’s baseball team was the strained club, having played one five-inning game over the previous two days because of weather issues. Edinburg High was the well-rested one, having last played a week ago and having last practiced Monday, also because of weather issues.
The circumstance favored the Cougars on Friday when the two rivals met up for a District 31-6A affair. Edinburg North took the 3-2 win at home, improving to 10-1-2 overall and 3-0 in district.
Edinburg High, meanwhile, lost its 2015 31-6A debut and fell to 7-2-1.
“It’s big,” Edinburg North coach Damian Gonzalez said. “It’s always good to be 3-0. This district we’re in is tough. Every team is going to battle us, especially with how we’ve been playing the last couple of years (back-to-back district champs).
“But I’m impressed with the way we responded today.”
Neither team was in tip-top form.
Cougars senior ace Alex Canul got the win, but struggled with location and was either really on or really off. He struck out eight, walked four, and was removed two-thirds through the seventh inning after putting two runners on.
“I didn’t have my best stuff tonight,” said Canul, who nonetheless improved to 3-0. “It’s one of those things you feel warming up where you just know it might not be your night and you have to work through it. I tried to mix it up, throw them off balance. I just had to work harder.”
The Bobcats squandered opportunities, stranding seven runners in scoring position, and almost treated the game like a tournament contest. Coach Robert Valdez, who has had six games canceled this season because of weather, used four pitchers in an attempt to get guys reps and into a rhythm.
It’s not ideal for a district game, but it worked. Bobcats pitching allowed just two earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking two.
“Our biggest downfall is we haven’t seen live competition in a week,” Valdez said. “It’s not an excuse, but we had mistakes and we didn’t execute. But, hey, our kids battled, gave us a chance at the end. That’s all we can ask for right now.”
Edinburg North led 3-1 heading into the seventh inning.
Canul started things with a strikeout and forced a groundout. But Matt Trevino singled, then John Gonzalez, Canul’s final batter, reached base. Pinch-runner Randy Torres followed up by scoring on a throwing error to cut the deficit to one run.
Sophomore Giancarlo Servin came on in relief and walked the first batter he faced before striking out Josh Aguirre to end the threat.
Edinburg High strung together quality at-bats all night, but never could get the clutch hitting it so desired.
“It’s been tough for all of us. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Gonzalez, whose team has had five games canceled this season, said of the weather situation that has littered the Valley’s baseball schedule with postponements and cancellations. “But they came ready to play, and we did as well. The effort was there, the intensity was there.”