By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
SAN BENITO — San Benito used two big innings to gain an early lead but had to hold off the Los Fresnos Falcons down the stretch to win 9-6 in District 32-6A baseball action on Friday.
San Benito (10-6, 5-4) wasted no time, getting on the board during the first inning. After Isaac Sanchez reached after being hit by a pitch, Victor Gaitan knocked him in with a double. Gaitan scored on a double by Joseph Partida, who then found his way home on a single by Jonathan Robles to give the Greyhounds an early 3-0 advantage.
The Falcons (10-9, 3-6) came through during the third inning. George Villafranca doubled and scored on a two-out single by Miguel Gonzalez to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The game was delayed 30 minutes for lightning. When play resumed, the Greyhounds resumed where they left off.
San Benito extended its lead during the fourth inning. Ruben Reyes’ single scored Robles, Justin Sauceda singled and scored on a throwing error — as did pinch runner Ruben Pena — and David Vargus had a two-run double as the Greyhounds put five runs across the plate to take a 8-1 lead.
“For 30 minutes, not one person spoke. They were focused and concentrating, and I give them credit,” San Benito coach Ramiro Partida said of his team. “A lot of credit to Los Fresnos. They could have gave up, hung up the gloves and walked away (after our big lead) and they didn’t, they fought back.”
The Falcons fought back with four runs during the fifth inning. Two runs scored on a Greyhounds error and two more came across on a two-run single by Villafranca to cut it to 8-5. Los Fresnos chased Greyhounds starter Mando Medrano in the process. He pitched four innings, allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four.
“It was the same delay for both teams. They came out and made some plays and we didn’t,” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “That’s baseball.”
During the sixth, the Greyhounds added an insurance run on a J.R. Gaitan single to make it 9-5. Los Fresnos added a run on a wild pitch in the seventh to make it 9-6, but didn’t get anything more off J.R. Gaitan.
Morales was proud of the way his team fought back.
“I’m very proud of the way we played tonight,” he said. “They did everything I asked them to do. They swung the bat well, we just didn’t make a few plays we needed to make. (San Benito’s) a good hitting ballclub and made the plays when they had to.”
Falcons starter Nick Montemayor pitched six innings, allowed nine runs on 11 hits, walked two and struck out two in the loss.
Gaitan came in to relieve Medrano during the fifth inning and pitched three innings, allowed three runs on four hits, walked three and struck out four. But more importantly, he kept the Falcons at bay to seal the win on a unassisted forceout by the shortstop in the seventh.
Partida was happy to get the win against a tough Los Fresnos team.
“I kept telling my kids, expect a fight because they’re going to come fighting,” he said of the Falcons. “We’re not going to take it easy because that’s a good ballclub over there, a well-coached team. I told our kids it’s not over, stay focused because it’s going to be a battle to the end.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.